NEW DELHI: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday stirred a fresh row after he refused to wear a ' topi ' at a madrasa event in Patna.
In a video, a person was seen offering the cap, usually worn by Muslims, to Nitish. However, he did not wear it and instead placed it on the head of his cabinet colleague Jama Khan.
This is being seen as another U-turn from Nitish, as he had once said that a leader of India must wear both a "topi" and a "tilak" (symbols of Muslim and Hindu communities).
Attacking Nitish, Bihar Youth Congress accused him embracing "sanghi coordination" ahead of the assembly elections.
"Nitish's politics takes a new hue – rejecting the cap on stage, but embracing Sanghi coordination behind the scenes. The true face of Chacha's cunning revealed," it wrote on a post on X.
In March, during the Iftar party that he hosted at Ek Anne Marg in Patna, Nitish was seen without the traditional skullcap that he would usually wear at such events. Nitish was instead seen with a scarf, or kafiya, around his shoulders.
Meanwhile, a group of teachers also protested against Nitish Kumar over salary dues at the event. The chief minister later accepted a memorandum from the protesters.
This comes as JD(U) has traditionally relied on Muslim votes by presenting Nitish as a secular leader .
Muslims comprise 18 per cent of the electorate in Bihar, which is scheduled to go to polls at the end of the year.
In a video, a person was seen offering the cap, usually worn by Muslims, to Nitish. However, he did not wear it and instead placed it on the head of his cabinet colleague Jama Khan.
This is being seen as another U-turn from Nitish, as he had once said that a leader of India must wear both a "topi" and a "tilak" (symbols of Muslim and Hindu communities).
Attacking Nitish, Bihar Youth Congress accused him embracing "sanghi coordination" ahead of the assembly elections.
"Nitish's politics takes a new hue – rejecting the cap on stage, but embracing Sanghi coordination behind the scenes. The true face of Chacha's cunning revealed," it wrote on a post on X.
नीतीश की राजनीति का नया रंग – मंच पर टोपी अस्वीकार, पीछे संघी तालमेल स्वीकार। चचा की चालाकी का असली चेहरा सामने#viral #modi #TrendingNow pic.twitter.com/EoTWlO5Sym
— Bihar Youth Congress (@IYCBihar) August 21, 2025
In March, during the Iftar party that he hosted at Ek Anne Marg in Patna, Nitish was seen without the traditional skullcap that he would usually wear at such events. Nitish was instead seen with a scarf, or kafiya, around his shoulders.
Meanwhile, a group of teachers also protested against Nitish Kumar over salary dues at the event. The chief minister later accepted a memorandum from the protesters.
This comes as JD(U) has traditionally relied on Muslim votes by presenting Nitish as a secular leader .
Muslims comprise 18 per cent of the electorate in Bihar, which is scheduled to go to polls at the end of the year.
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