AAP defends Arvind Kejriwal aide; Swati Maliwal face of BJP conspiracy to target Delhi CM, says Atishi

The Swati Maliwal assault case is a BJP conspiracy to frame Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and she is the “face” of this, the AAP alleged on Friday, terming allegations levelled by her against Kejriwal’s aide “baseless”.

The remarks of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) come a day after the Delhi Police registered an FIR against Bibhav Kumar, the personal assistant of Kejriwal, for allegedly assaulting Maliwal, the party’s member in Rajya Sabha, at the chief minister’s official residence.

She had reached the chief minister’s residence without an appointment and her intention was to level allegations against Kejriwal, senior AAP leader Atishi alleged at a press conference.

“Today a video has surfaced that has exposed the lie of Maliwal. In her FIR, she has said she was brutally assaulted and she was in pain, and buttons of her shirt were torn. A video that has surfaced shows an entirely different reality,” Atishi said.

According to the FIR, Maliwal was “kicked and slapped seven to eight times” allegedly by Kumar. The FIR also stated that Kumar “did not relent” despite her asking him to stop.

Maliwal has also claimed that Kumar hit her with “full force again and again” but no one came to her rescue. She also alleged that despite telling Kumar that she was menstruating and in pain, he did not budge.

Atishi said the video shows Maliwal “comfortably sitting in the drawing room” and “threatening the security staff”, and that “her clothes were not torn”.

“The video shows her threatening Kumar. The charges levelled by Maliwal are baseless. Maliwal insisted on meeting Kejriwal. She is Rajya Sabha MP and she should know that the CM has a busy schedule. Kumar told her that the chief minister is busy and unable to meet her. She shouted at him, pushed him and tried to enter the residential portion of the CM House,” she claimed.

“The whole incident proves that it was a BJP conspiracy and Swati Maliwal was made its face to frame Kejriwal,” she alleged. Atishi said Kumar has also given a complaint to police against Maliwal.

On Tuesday, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh had said that the incident with Maliwal was “highly condemnable” and had claimed that Kumar had “misbehaved” with her.

When Atishi was asked about Singh accepting misbehaviour with Maliwal, Atishi said, “AAP MP Sanjay Singh met Maliwal and he had only her version. But now this video has brought out the truth.”