New Delhi: AAP MP Swati Maliwal has alleged that an aide to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attacked her with full force, slapping and kicking her in the chest and abdomen. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has dismissed these allegations as “baseless” and accused her of being part of a BJP conspiracy to frame Kejriwal.
The allegations are detailed in an FIR registered by the Civil Lines police station on Thursday against Kejriwal’s personal assistant, Bibhav Kumar. Maliwal, a Rajya Sabha member, claims she was assaulted by Kumar at the CM’s official residence on May 13.
Responding to the accusations, Maliwal, a former chief of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), stated that the party has succumbed to pressure and is now questioning her character. She accused an unnamed individual of threatening the party by saying, “if I get arrested, I will reveal all the secrets.” Maliwal added that the party had initially acknowledged the misbehavior but later reversed its stance.
As part of its investigation, the Delhi Police took Maliwal to the CM’s residence to recreate the crime scene and recorded her statement before a magistrate at the Tis Hazari court. In the FIR, Maliwal claims Kumar hit her repeatedly, slapping and kicking her despite her informing him that she was menstruating and in pain.
During a press conference, senior AAP leader Atishi stated that Maliwal arrived at the CM’s residence without an appointment, intending to level allegations against Kejriwal. Atishi referred to a video that allegedly disproves Maliwal’s claims, showing her sitting comfortably and threatening the security staff, with no signs of her clothes being torn.
“The video shows her threatening Kumar. The charges levelled by Maliwal are baseless. Maliwal insisted on meeting Kejriwal. She is a Rajya Sabha MP and should know that the CM has a busy schedule. Kumar informed her that the chief minister was unavailable, leading to her shouting at him, pushing him, and attempting to enter the residential area of the CM House,” Atishi claimed. She alleged that this incident was a BJP conspiracy, with Maliwal as its face to frame Kejriwal. Atishi also noted that Kumar had filed a complaint against Maliwal.
In response to the AAP’s statements, Maliwal posted on X, criticizing the party for questioning her character and accusing her of being a BJP agent. She pointed out that the party had initially acknowledged the incident but later reversed its position.
Earlier, senior AAP leader and MP Sanjay Singh had condemned the incident and claimed that Kumar had misbehaved with Maliwal. Union Minister and senior BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman criticized Kejriwal for not addressing the allegations and continuing to support Kumar. She accused AAP of being “anti-women,” citing past accusations against several AAP leaders.
The Delhi Police have collected CCTV footage from the CM’s residence and recorded statements from security personnel present during the incident. They attempted to locate Kumar at his residence but found he was not there, suspecting he may be in Punjab. Multiple teams have been deployed to trace Kumar, with two teams sent to Punjab.
A video purportedly showing the incident has surfaced, depicting Maliwal using expletives and arguing with the security staff, threatening their jobs if they touched her. In a press conference, Sitharaman criticized Kejriwal’s actions, describing them as “shameless” and accusing him of adding insult to injury by supporting Kumar.
Kumar did not appear before the National Commission for Women (NCW) in connection with the assault case. When the NCW, accompanied by the Delhi Police, attempted to serve him a notice, the occupants of his house refused to accept it, leading officers to affix the notice to the gate.
