A major political storm has broken out over the alleged assault of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal at Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s residence.
Swati Maliwal, AAP RS MP and former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson on Monday claimed that she was assaulted at the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence by Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar.
She is yet to lodge a formal police complaint but this has already triggered verbal onslaught from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
A string of BJP spokespersons slammed the Delhi CM and called it a ‘plot to abuse and harass the dissenters’ at his residence.
Manjinder Singh Sirsa said: “Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal was thrashed by Kejriwal’s PA Bibhav. She had to call up the police to report the incident.”
"Why Swati Maliwal was manhandled and beaten at the Chief Minister’s residence?" Sirsa asked while claiming that many such incidents have taken place in the past.
He cited earlier instances of the Chief Secretary and AAP MLA being beaten at the CM’s residence.
Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva also hit out at Delhi CM and claimed that she was subjected to such treatment because of her habit of not mincing words.
“Swati Maliwal posed tough questions and this is why she was beaten by Kejriwal’s PA,” Sachdeva told media persons and also added the BJP will protest strongly against such maltreatment of women in the city.
Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha President Richa Mishra condemned the incident and demanded action against Arvind Kejriwal, claiming that “he is now a threat to his own women representatives.”
“Swati Maliwal is untraceable after informing police that she was beaten inside Delhi CM’s house. I request Delhi LG and Delhi Police to act against Arvind Kejriwal for allowing such heinous crime inside his residence,” Richa Mishra said.
Delhi BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya also slammed Kejriwal over the assault incident and hinted at ‘differences’ between Kejriwal and Maliwal.
“AAP RS MP and former DCW Chief Swati Maliwal alleges that Delhi CM’s PA assaulted her. Call made from Delhi CM’s House. Remember, Swati Maliwal had maintained radio silence on Kejriwal’s arrest. She was in fact not even in India at that time and didn’t return for a long time,” Malviya wrote on X.
The row over the assault on Swati Maliwal inside Delhi CM’s residence broke out after she made a PCR call around 10 AM on Monday and complained against Bibhav Kumar. Following the phone call, the police also reached CM’s residence in Civil Lines.
Bibhav Kumar hogged the headlines recently after he was sacked as Delhi CM’s Personal Secretary by the Delhi Vigilance Department over the ‘illegal appointment’.
He was also summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in February, for questioning in the Delhi excise policy case.
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