New Delhi: Former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal has written to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that his ministers have undermined the women’s panel, making it a “weak institution.”
Maliwal resigned from her position as chairperson of the DCW following her nomination to the Rajya Sabha by the Aam Aadmi Party.
In her letter to the chief minister, Maliwal claimed that DCW staff have not received salaries for the past six months, the panel’s budget has been reduced by 28.5 percent, the 181 helpline has been withdrawn, and no efforts have been made to fill the vacant posts of chairman and two members.
“Since I resigned as chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, the ministers and officers of the Delhi government have taken actions against the commission. Staff salaries have not been paid for six months, the budget has been cut by 28.5 percent, the 181 helpline has been withdrawn, and the posts of chairman and two members remain unfilled,” Maliwal stated in a post on X.
Delhi Women and Child Development Minister Kailash Gahlot announced on Monday that the women’s helpline 181 will now be managed by his department and will be inoperative for a few days during the transition.
He explained that the central government plans to mandate the operation of the women’s helpline by the Department of Women and Child Development rather than the DCW.
In the same post, Maliwal expressed concern about the vacant position of a Dalit member for 1.5 years and questioned the Delhi government’s intentions towards the women’s commission. “Why is the Delhi government showing hostility towards women? I have written a letter to @ArvindKejriwal ji seeking his response,” she wrote.
Additionally, Maliwal accused Kejriwal’s close aide Bibhav Kumar of assaulting her at the chief minister’s residence. Kumar is currently in judicial custody regarding the matter.
