Swati Maliwal assault row: BJP ramps up attack on Kejriwal
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified its attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal following an assault complaint lodged by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal. Maliwal has accused Kejriwal's personal assistant, Bibhav Kumar, of assaulting her at the CM's residence on May 13. Weighing in on the row, the BJP labeled Kejriwal as the "main criminal" in the incident, expressing disbelief at his silence and calling it "utterly shameful."
Assault allegations emerge from Kejriwal's official residence
"It is shocking that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has not spoken a word about his party MP Swati Maliwal, who was misbehaved with and beaten up in the Chief Minister's residence," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. Sitharaman further criticized Kejriwal for his lack of action against the accused and his continued association with him. "Kejriwal should come forward and speak," she said, emphasizing that there is no room for deflection or "whataboutery" in addressing the matter.
Calls for Kejriwal's response to assault allegations intensify
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma echoed similar sentiments, questioning why Kejriwal was silent and why he had not taken action against Kumar. "There should not be any politics on this. We are not aligned with her ideologically, but when there is a crime against women, it is our job to raise our voices," he said. "Why is he not taking action against him? Kejriwal has become a criminal...and this has been reconfirmed by Swati Maliwal's tweet today," Sarma said.
Maliwal claimed she was slapped, kicked by Kumar
In her complaint, Maliwal claimed that she was hit on the stomach, slapped, and kicked by Kumar in Kejriwal's drawing room while he was present in the house on May 13. Kumar was booked under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 354 (assault or use of criminal force on woman with intent to disrobe) and 506 (criminal intimidation), on Thursday.
Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha protests near Kejriwal's residence
In a show of solidarity with Maliwal, the Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha staged a protest near Kejriwal's residence on Friday, demanding his resignation. President Richa Pandey Mishra stated that the Mahila Morcha wanted to hand over the bangles to Kejriwal, who has yet to react to the allegations. When asked about the allegations at a joint press conference with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday, AAP leader Sanjay Singh responded in his stead.
