Amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's recent actions involving a woman's hijab, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has reignited a past incident involving his political rival, Mehbooba Mufti. Abdullah has accused Mufti of a similar act during his election in 2004, alleging that she had a voter's burqa removed inside a polling station.

Abdullah, speaking to reporters in Srinagar, described Kumar's behavior as "unacceptable" and a display of a "regressive mindset". He argued that such incidents, including the one he attributed to Mufti, are not isolated events but rather a continuation of a problematic attitude. "We have seen such incidents before. During my election, people may have forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti got a legitimate voter's burqa removed inside a polling station," Abdullah stated. He went on to say, "This is a continuation of the same mindset. What happened then was unfortunate, and this incident is equally shameful".

The incident Abdullah referred to allegedly occurred in April 2004, during the Lok Sabha elections, where Mufti purportedly lifted a woman voter's veil inside a polling booth. Abdullah has now linked this past event to the current hijab row involving Nitish Kumar, suggesting a pattern of disrespect towards women's religious attire.

Abdullah asserted that humiliating a woman in public is unjustifiable under any circumstances. Addressing the Nitish Kumar incident, he suggested that if the Bihar Chief Minister was unwilling to personally hand over an appointment letter to the woman, he should have simply stepped aside instead of causing public embarrassment. He further added, "Slowly, the reality of Nitish Kumar, who was once seen as a secular and sensible leader, is coming out".

Mufti is yet to respond to the allegations.

The controversy surrounding Nitish Kumar's actions has drawn sharp criticism from various political figures and parties, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir. Mehbooba Mufti herself had earlier expressed shock over Kumar's behavior, questioning whether it stemmed from "old age or the normalisation of humiliating Muslims publicly". She called for Kumar's resignation, stating that the passive reaction of his entourage was "even more unsettling".

In response to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's remarks on fiscal discipline, Abdullah also commented on the financial constraints faced by Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that the Union Territory remains dependent on the Government of India and no longer receives a share of central taxes as it did when it had statehood, placing additional pressure on its finances. Abdullah defended his government's financial record, asserting that there has been no financial negligence despite the challenges.