In New Delhi, Atishi, a prominent leader of the AAP, asserted on Saturday that Swati Maliwal, a party MP who has accused Bibhav Kumar, an aide to Arvind Kejriwal, of assault, is currently under the threat of arrest in connection with an illegal recruitment case. Atishi claimed that Maliwal was coerced by the BJP into participating in a purported conspiracy against the Chief Minister.
Speaking to PTI-Video, Atishi, who also serves as a cabinet minister in the Delhi government, questioned Maliwal’s unscheduled visit to the Chief Minister’s official residence on Monday. “Why did she enter without an appointment? Arvind Kejriwal was occupied that day and did not meet her. Had he met her, the allegations against Bibhav Kumar might have been directed at him,” Atishi remarked.
Atishi accused the BJP of orchestrating a strategy where they first file charges and then use threats of imprisonment against leaders. She alleged, “Swati Maliwal has been implicated in an illegal recruitment case by the Anti-Corruption Branch, with an FIR registered against her, putting her at risk of arrest. The BJP has manipulated Maliwal and portrayed her as the face of this conspiracy.”
Regarding the assault allegations made by Maliwal against Bibhav Kumar at Kejriwal’s residence, the Delhi Police has initiated an FIR, a move contested by the AAP as baseless.
Atishi further questioned the impartiality of the Delhi Police, urging them to also register Kumar’s complaint against Maliwal. “If the Delhi Police is unbiased, it should register a case against her for trespassing, breaching security, and obstructing a government official,” she asserted.
The investigation into the incident has included taking Maliwal to Kejriwal’s residence to reconstruct the events, along with recording her statement before a magistrate at the Tis Hazari court on Friday.
