Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s recent remarks to RJD MLA Rekha Paswan in the Bihar Assembly have ignited controversy. On Wednesday, amid growing opposition demands for reservation changes, Kumar lost his temper and addressed Paswan saying, “You are a woman, you don’t know anything… Sit down and listen.”
The Assembly was in turmoil as opposition members gathered in the well of the House, demanding that the state’s amended reservation laws be included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to protect them from judicial review.
During his speech, Kumar highlighted his role in initiating a caste survey that led to increased quotas for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and the extremely backward classes. He explained that the Patna High Court had set aside the reservation laws, and the matter had been escalated to the Supreme Court. Kumar also mentioned that a formal request had been made to the Centre to include these laws in the Ninth Schedule.
Despite his explanations, opposition members continued their protest with chants. In response, Kumar’s frustration boiled over, leading to his comment directed at Paswan.
“You are a woman, do you know anything? Do you realize that it was only after I assumed power that women started getting their due in Bihar?” he said, also criticizing his former allies.
RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav condemned Kumar’s remarks. “Making cheap, unwanted, uncivilized, rude, and low-level comments on women has become a habit of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. This is a very serious and worrying issue for the state,” Yadav stated.
Tejashwi Yadav also referenced a previous incident where Kumar had made a lewd comment about a BJP woman MLA from the tribal class. “Today, he made a derogatory comment about two-time Scheduled Caste MLA Rekha Paswan,” Yadav added.
Nitish Kumar, who had left the NDA alliance to join hands with the RJD in 2022, reversed his position in 2024 and rejoined the NDA.
