As Arvind Kejriwal arrived at the venue for his press conference with Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav, reporters attempted to inquire about the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal. However, the AAP leader declined to respond to any questions.
When the matter was brought up during the press conference, Akhilesh Yadav said, “There are other issues that are more important than this.”
#WATCH | Lucknow, UP: On AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal's assault case, AAP MP Sanjay Singh says "The entire country was in pain after seeing what happened in Manipur but PM Modi was silent on the issue. Prajwal Revanna raped thousands of women but PM Modi was asking for votes… pic.twitter.com/nQu73jcqNQ
— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2024
Sanjay Singh, an AAP Rajya Sabha MP, intervened to support his party. He said that the BJP was to blame for Swati Maliwal being physically restrained and mistreated by the Delhi police during the wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar, as well as for politicising the matter.
“Aam Aadmi Party is our family. The party has taken a clear stand on this issue…Can they answer on the case of Swati Maliwal, when she went to fight for justice for women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, they made the police drag and beat her up. Don’t play political games on this,” Singh stated during a joint press conference with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday.
In May last year, during the wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar, Maliwal, who was then the Delhi Commission for Women chief, alleged that the Delhi police forcefully took her to a police station while she was attempting to meet the wrestlers.
“When wrestler daughters were fighting at the Jantar Mantar, the same Swati Maliwal, who was the chairperson of the Women’s Commission at that time, had gone to support them at night, the police dragged her and beat her,” Singh reiterated during the press conference.
Singh also raised concerns about alleged atrocities against women under the BJP regime and questioned the Prime Minister’s silence on such issues.
“The entire nation is saddened even today when a Kargil warrior’s wife was paraded naked in Manipur, several women were assaulted, and the Prime Minister remained silent. Prajwal Revanna raped and brutalized thousands of women, even those who were of the age of his mother, and the Prime Minister says that he (Prajwal Revanna) will give strength to India and people should vote for him. He is the future of India. He is made to flee by the BJP. The Prime Minister was also silent on the Kuldeep Sengar-Hathras case in Uttar Pradesh,” Singh asserted.
Earlier, the BJP accused Arvind Kejriwal of shielding his aide Bibhav Kumar, who was allegedly involved in the assault on Maliwal. The BJP shared a picture of Kejriwal’s aide with him at the Lucknow airport and questioned why no action had been taken against him despite an assurance by Sanjay Singh.
“72 hours No FIR on Bibhav Kumar instead Kejriwal is protecting him! Roaming around with him. It is clear the attack on Swati Maliwal was done at the behest of Kejriwal himself. Now she is being pressured to keep silent or change her story as is evident from statements of Naveen Jaihind & Nitin Tyagi,” said BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala.
#WATCH | BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla says, "'Sheeshmahal' has become 'Shoshanmahal' and just like Draupadi's 'cheerharan' took place, Kejriwal was witness to assault and violence on Swati Maliwal, a female Rajya Sabha MP… When the question is asked, Kejriwal… pic.twitter.com/WEej2VHEhw
— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2024
It was alleged that CM Kejriwal’s aide had assaulted the former chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women at the former’s residence. After initially maintaining silence on the matter, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh stated that the CM had taken due cognizance of the incident, and strict action would follow.