In an unusual gesture, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar placed a potted plant on the head of a senior IAS officer who gifted it to the CM during an official event. Kumar’s act drew a mix of laughter, confusion, and criticism across the political sphere.
The incident occurred when CM Kumar was attending an appointment letter distribution ceremony at the Lalit Narayan Mishra Institute in Patna and handed over appointment letters to 20 newly recruited faculty members.
As part of the protocol, the education department’s additional chief secretary S Siddharth presented a ceremonial sapling to the chief minister, a usual gesture at official government events. However, what followed was anything but routine.
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In a move that startled attendees, Kumar first calmly accepted the plant but then placed it gently atop Siddharth’s head.
The officer stood still as the audience reacted with a mix of stunned silence and awkward laughter. He then promptly removed it and walked away as onlookers smiled.
Chief minister Kumar, meanwhile, proceeded as if nothing had happened.
However, the act was recorded on video and soon went viral, with social media erupting in memes and renewed debate over Kumar’s public conduct.
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Meanwhile, Kumar’s conduct during the event garnered sharp criticism from RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwary, who said the incident was shocking and shameful.
“His activities are bringing shame to the state. This shows that his mind is not under his control. He is being controlled by a group of bureaucrats. He is the weakest CM Bihar has ever had,” he claimed.
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The now-viral clip added to the CM’s list of unusual public moments. In March, Kumar abruptly left the stage ahead of the national anthem during the inauguration of the Sepak Takraw World Cup in Patna.
In November last year, he made an attempt to touch Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s feet at a public event in Darbhanga.