New Delhi: AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal disclosed on Sunday that she has been subjected to threats of rape and death following what she described as a “character assassination” campaign allegedly orchestrated by leaders and volunteers of her own party.
According to Maliwal, the situation escalated after YouTuber Dhruv Rathee posted a video that she claims portrayed a biased perspective against her.
“In the wake of a character assassination campaign, victim shaming, and deliberate incitement against me by leaders and volunteers of my party, AAP, I have been subjected to threats of rape and death. The situation worsened significantly when YouTuber @Dhruv_Rathee released a one-sided video targeting me,” Maliwal stated on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.
Maliwal accused the party leadership of attempting to coerce her into retracting her complaint. She also expressed disappointment with Dhruv Rathee, alleging that despite her attempts to communicate with him and present her side of the story, he ignored her calls and messages.
“It is regrettable that individuals like him, who profess to be impartial journalists, have acted akin to AAP spokespersons, contributing to victim-shaming me to the extent that I am now enduring severe abuses and threats,” she added.
Maliwal highlighted several points she believes were omitted in Dhruv Rathee’s 2.5-minute video:
She pointed out Rathee’s failure to address why AAP initially acknowledged the incident, the MLC report confirming injuries from the assault, the selective release of video footage followed by the accused’s phone being wiped, the arrest of the accused from the crime scene (CM’s residence), and the subsequent allowance of re-entry for possible evidence tampering.
She also questioned how someone who has consistently championed significant issues, including traveling to Manipur alone without security, could be influenced by BJP.
“The manner in which the entire party machinery and its supporters have endeavored to defame and disgrace me reflects poorly on their commitment to women’s issues. I am lodging complaints regarding these threats of rape and death with @DelhiPolice, urging them to take stringent action against the perpetrators,” Maliwal declared.
She concluded by stating, “In any eventuality, should something happen to me, we know who instigated it.”
Bibhav Kumar was arrested on May 18 in connection with the assault on Maliwal at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence on May 13.
Kumar, a former PS to Kejriwal, filed a bail plea on Saturday, prompting the local court to issue notice to Delhi Police seeking their response.
