On Wednesday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sparked controversy in the Bihar Assembly after making a misogynistic remark directed at RJD MLA Rekha Paswan. During a heated debate over the state’s reservation laws, which are being challenged in court, Kumar addressed Paswan by saying, "You are a woman, you don't know anything. Sit down and listen." This comment was made in the context of a broader discussion on the state's reservation policies and their inclusion in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
The remark led to a ruckus in the Assembly, with opposition members protesting and chanting slogans. Kumar’s outburst followed ongoing protests demanding that the reservation laws be protected from judicial review, a move that the Patna High Court had recently set aside. Kumar had previously indicated that the state government was seeking to have these laws included in the Ninth Schedule through the Supreme Court and had requested support from the Centre.
Tejashwi Yadav, RJD leader and former deputy Chief Minister, condemned Kumar’s comment, calling it "cheap, unwanted, uncivilized, rude, and low-level." Yadav highlighted that Kumar had made a similar inappropriate remark about a BJP woman MLA from a tribal class recently, which had already drawn criticism.
Nitish Kumar, who had shifted alliances from NDA to RJD in 2022 but rejoined NDA in 2024, has faced criticism for his remarks, which have been seen as part of a pattern of derogatory comments towards women.
