New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has admitted that Arvind Kejriwal’s PA Bibhav Kumar allegedly misbehaved with its Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal at the chief minister’s residence and condemned the incident which took place on Monday.
However, amid a political uproar and protests against the CM, neither Kejriwal nor Maliwal has spoken about the incident yet.
Maliwal’s mother Sangita said the former was not in a condition to talk at the moment, Republic TV reported.
Maliwal went to Delhi’s Civil Lines police station on Monday morning and alleged that a member of Kejriwal’s personal staff “assaulted” her at the CM’s official residence, police officials said.
However, Maliwal has not lodged a formal complaint yet.
Asked if Maliwal was being threatened to keep quiet, her mother told Republic TV: “We are not in a state to talk… It’s her fight, and only she will speak when the time is right. I am thankful to the media for supporting us in our tough times.”
Notwithstanding Maliwal’s reluctance to speak on the matter, a team of Delhi Police reached her residence on Thursday in connection with the alleged assault on her.
The team, led by an Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) rank officer, are looking to gather details of the incident, officials said.
#WATCH | Police personnel outside the residence of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal in Delhi. Delhi BJP Women’s Wing president Richa Pandey Mishra and other members of the wing also reach outside her residence in an attempt to meet her. pic.twitter.com/z4HeXXNmJf
— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2024
The BJP has been turning on the heat against Kejriwal, who is out on interim bail to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.
Questioning Kejriwal’s silence on the Maliwal issue during a press conference in Lucknow, BJP alleged that the Delhi CM is behaving more like a “goon”.
#WATCH | Lucknow, UP: On AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal’s assault case, AAP MP Sanjay Singh says “The entire country was in pain after seeing what happened in Manipur but PM Modi was silent on the issue. Prajwal Revanna raped thousands of women but PM Modi was asking for votes… pic.twitter.com/nQu73jcqNQ
— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2024
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said Kejriwal is the main “criminal” in the complaint that his aide Bibhav Kumar had physically attacked Maliwal at the chief minister’s residence.
“His (Kejriwal) silence speaks a lot. Out of jail, he is more a ‘goonda’ than a chief minister,” said Bhatia, adding that Kumar was seen with Kejriwal in Lucknow.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has summoned Kumar over the allegations concerning Maliwal. His hearing is scheduled for Friday morning.
