Clarion India
NEW DELHI – AAP leader Atishi at a press conference on Friday accused Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal of colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party to discredit the AAP during the general election.
Atishi referred to a 52-second video of Monday’s confrontation between Maliwal and staffers at Kejriwal’s home – in which she is seen (briefly) and heard arguing with the guards, who repeatedly demand she leave the premises. Maliwal refuses, threatens the guards with police action, and then dares them to physically throw her out.
Pointing to the video, the AAP leader said it exposed “plans” hatched by the BJP to target Kejriwal – who was released on bail last week after his arrest in March on corruption charges – days before the Delhi Lok Sabha election.
Atishi asserted the BJP is in cahoots with Ms Maliwal, whom she labelled the “face and pawn of this conspiracy” – and that the “rattled” saffron party had been forced into this move because of the growing popularity of the Delhi Chief Minister and his status in the national political landscape.
“Ever since Arvind Kejriwal got bail the BJP has been rattled. Due to this, BJP hatched a conspiracy, under which Swati Maliwal was sent to Arvind Kejriwal’s house on the morning of May 13. They intended to accuse the Chief Minister… but he was not there then, so he was saved,” she said.
Maliwal responded shortly afterwards on X (formerly Twitter), directing her anger at her alleged assaulter, Bibhav Kumar, and slamming him as a “goon” who had pressured the party into attacking her.
“This goon (seen as a reference to Mr Kumar) is threatening the party, ‘If I get arrested I will reveal all secrets’. That is why he is roaming in Lucknow and everywhere seeking shelter…” Ms Maliwal tweeted.
“Today, under his pressure, the party gave in. To save a goon my character was questioned… no problem, I have been fighting alone for the women of the country, I will fight for myself too.”
“Her clothes were not torn and there was no injury on her head…” Atishi declared, hitting back at Ms Maliwal’s claim that she was slapped and kicked repeatedly, and suffered injuries.
In the growing back-and-forth between the two sides, Ms Maliwal has yet to respond.
On Thursday, in her first public comment on this row, Maliwal called for action against those who allegedly attacked her, and wrote on X, “The last few days have been very difficult…”
Atishi’s response came after the AAP and Maliwal fought anew over a video leaked online today.
Maliwal hit out at a “political hitman” – an epithet seen by many as referring to Bibhav Kumar – who released the clip to “save himself”, while the AAP simply re-posted the video with the terse message, “The truth of Swati Maliwal.”
The party has also dismissed reports Ms Maliwal had been summoned to a meeting by the Chief Minister; Atishi pointed out this evening that Mr Kejriwal was, in fact, not at home.
Atishi also confirmed that Mr Kumar – who faces charges that include assault and criminal intimidation – based on Ms Maliwal’s statement Thursday – has filed a counter-complaint.
The entire controversy, which broke Monday, has also spun into a political row, with the BJP gleefully attacking the AAP and Mr Kejriwal ahead of voting for Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha seats.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman led the BJP’s charge this morning, calling Kejriwal “shameless” for continuing to associate with Bibhav Kumar and demanded he apologise.
