Watch: Nitish Kumar's Folded Hands Moment During Virtual Meet With PM Modi Sparks Fresh Buzz Ahead of Bihar Election

With Bihar heading for assembly elections, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar once again drew attention for his unusual public behaviour - this time during a virtual event with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.Kumar

attended the Kaushal Deekshant Samaroh 2025, a skill convocation ceremony for ITI toppers across India, where Modi interacted with students and launched new initiatives. During the event, Kumar was seen sitting with folded hands for nearly a minute while another leader addressed the gathering. He slightly shook his hands, smiled briefly, and looked sideways - gestures that quickly went viral online and added fuel to ongoing Opposition criticism over his health and erratic conduct.The part can be seen in this live video from 27:11 - 27:50 mins.

https://youtu.be/L4SYuegcbtQ?t=1641

The Opposition, led by the RJD, has often questioned Kumar's fitness, citing past incidents where he appeared distracted or behaved unusually in public. Earlier this year, he was caught laughing during the national anthem at a Patna event, prompting his aide to intervene. He also faced criticism after placing his arm around a woman's shoulder at a public function and putting a sapling on an officer's head during another.Despite such controversies, Kumar recently met over 400 JD(U) workers in Patna to prepare for the upcoming polls, signalling he remains firmly in control. Speculation also continues about the political debut of his son, Nishant Kumar, though the chief minister has remained silent on the matter.At Saturday's event, Prime Minister Modi praised the Nitish-led NDA government for improving Bihar's education and skill sectors, contrasting it with the "devastated" state during the RJD rule. He launched several youth-focused projects worth over Rs 62,000 crore, including the PM-SETU scheme to upgrade 1,000 ITIs nationwide, and Bihar’s revamped Student Credit Card and Self-Help Allowance schemes. Modi also inaugurated the Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Skill University and dedicated NIT Patna’s new Bihta campus.The prime minister lauded Bihar’s progress in education and employment generation, saying the NDA government had restored systems "derailed" by earlier misgovernance. He also urged people to remain vigilant against those trying to "steal" the legacy of OBC icon Karpoori Thakur.Bihar goes to polls later this year.