Overview

• At the Patna centenary event, the Bihar chief minister declined to wear a cap offered on stage and placed it on Minority Welfare Minister Mohammad Zama Khan.
• Video of the moment spread widely on social media after ANI posted and then deleted the clip, with other versions continuing to circulate on X.
• Opponents framed the move as a U-turn from his 2013 ‘topi and tilak’ stance, questioning his secular credentials ahead of October–November state elections where Muslims constitute about 18% of voters.
• Madrasa teachers demonstrated over unpaid salaries and long‑pending demands, submitted memorandums, and saw the chief minister accept applications from the stage.
• In his address, Nitish Kumar listed welfare measures including graveyard fencing, recognition of madrasas with teacher pay parity, and Rs 24,000 assistance for abandoned Muslim women.