(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) The Delhi Police on Thursday recorded the statement of AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal regarding the alleged assault by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide, Bibhav Kumar. Maliwal provided her account of the incident to a two-member police team at her residence in Central Delhi.
Following the recording of her statement, authorities hinted at the possibility of registering an FIR in relation to the incident. The police team, under the guidance of Additional Commissioner of Police P S Kushwaha, spent over four hours at Maliwal's residence conducting their inquiries.
According to reports quoting sources, Swati Maliwal 7-page complaint claims that Bibhav Kumar slapped her 5-6 times, including assaulting her on her chest, stomach and lower body area. Reports added that as per the complaint, Kejriwal was present at his residence and is aware of the assault.
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Bibhav Kumar has been
summoned by the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Friday over the matter.
Later in a post on X, Maliwal said she has recorded her statement with the Delhi Police on what happened with her and urged the BJP to not indulge in politics.
"Hope appropriate action is taken. Whatever happened with me was extremely bad," said the MP, two days after she went to the Civil Lines police station and alleged that a member of Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Kejriwal's personal staff "assaulted" her at the CM's official residence.
She also said, "The past days have been very difficult for me. I thank those who prayed. Those who tried to indulge in character assassination, said that I was doing it at the behest of the other party, God bless them too."
In her complaint, Maliwal reportedly identified Kumar as the "primary individual" responsible for the alleged assault during her visit to meet Kejriwal on Monday.
The BJP criticized Kejriwal following his silence on the Maliwal "assault" incident during a press conference in Lucknow. Kejriwal, accompanied by Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, refrained from commenting on the matter, with Singh addressing the question instead, stating that their party had already clarified its position on the issue.
Earlier, during a press conference in Delhi on Tuesday, Singh acknowledged that Kumar had "misbehaved" with Maliwal.
When Kejriwal was avoiding the question, Yadav took the microphone and said, "There are more important things than that".
He then unfolded a piece of paper and said, "BJP people are not with anyone, it is a 'gang' that lodges false cases".
Singh then intervened and addressed the gathering, emphasizing that it was the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who should be held accountable for the atrocities against women during their tenure.
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia asserted that Kejriwal is the primary figure implicated in the complaint, as his aide Kumar allegedly physically assaulted Maliwal at the chief minister's residence. Bhatia referenced Maliwal's phone call to the Delhi Police to report the incident as evidence.
"His (Kejriwal) silence speaks a lot. Out of jail, he is more a 'goonda' than a chief minister," he told reporters, noting that Kumar was seen with the chief minister in Lucknow. Stringent action should be taken against the accused in the case.
Kumar, he noted, was photographed with Kejriwal during his visit to Lucknow.
During the press conference in the Uttar Pradesh capital, Singh, who had visited Maliwal at her residence on Wednesday, expressed, "The AAP is our family. The party has already clarified its stance."
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He also criticized the BJP government at the Centre by highlighting several issues, including the case of a Manipuri woman being paraded naked, the Prajwal Revanna sex scandal, and Maliwal's alleged assault by police during protests when she served as the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief.
"I want that BJP and PM should also answer on the issues I have kept before you. He (PM) should answer on the issue of Swati Maliwal, who was dragged and beaten when she went to seek justice for the female wrestlers. I just want to say don't play political games on the issues," he said.
Reacting to the incident, the Congress emphasized the need for stringent action against the individual involved in the alleged assault on Maliwal.
Both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party are contesting the Lok Sabha elections together under the banner of the INDIA bloc in the national capital.
Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak reiterated the party's unequivocal stance on the matter.
"If any crime takes place against a woman, whoever is involved in the crime, whether he belongs to any political party or not, strictest action should be taken against him. (AAP MP) Sanjay Singh also said the same thing and the Congress also said the same," Nayak said.
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