Nitish Kumar snaps at women leaving venue during speech in Bihar’s Siwan

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday lost his temper during a public function in Siwan district after noticing a group of women leaving the venue while he was speaking about steps taken by his government for women’s welfare.

Addressing the gathering, Kumar interrupted his speech to question the women who were walking away. “Why are all you ladies running away? How would you know what is being done for you if you do not stay back and listen?” he said from the dais. The remark drew attention at the event, which was part of the state-wide Samriddhi Yatra launched by the chief minister last week to showcase development initiatives across Bihar.

The incident occurred as Kumar was outlining various schemes and policies aimed at improving the social and economic status of women. The chief minister, who will turn 76 in less than two months, is the longest-serving head of government in the state and has frequently highlighted women-centric initiatives as a key achievement of his tenure.

Kumar was in Siwan to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for a series of development projects. According to officials, projects worth Rs 202 crore were launched during the visit.

These included the laying of foundation stones for 40 projects with an estimated cost of Rs 157 crore, and the inauguration of 31 completed projects worth Rs 45 crore. The projects span sectors such as infrastructure, public utilities and local development works.

The chief minister heads the Janata Dal (United) and has often credited his government’s focus on women’s empowerment — through measures such as reservations, welfare schemes and support programmes — for strengthening his party’s electoral support among women voters in Bihar.

He was accompanied at the event by Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, senior minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, and Chief Secretary Pratyay Amrit, along with other senior officials.

While the chief minister’s remarks were made in the context of highlighting government initiatives, they sparked discussion among attendees at the venue. There was no immediate official response from the state government on the episode.

The Samriddhi Yatra, officials said, is aimed at reviewing ongoing schemes, inaugurating development works and engaging with local communities across districts. Kumar is scheduled to visit several more districts as part of the outreach programme in the coming weeks.