Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Tuesday acknowledged the incident of misbehaviour by Arvind Kejriwal's PA (Personal Assistant) with AAP leader Swati Maliwal as condemnable and informed that the Chief Minister has ordered a strict action in this incident.
"Yesterday an incident took place. At the residence of Arvind Kejriwal incident of misbehaviour took place with Swati Maliwal by Vibhav Kumar (Arvind Kejriwal's PA). Swati Maliwal has informed about this incident to the Delhi Police. This is a condemnable incident. Arvind Kejriwal has taken cognizance of the incident and has directed for strict action in the incident...," Sanjay Singh said.
This comes after on Monday, Swati Maliwal, AAP RS MP and former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson, claimed that she was assaulted at the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence by Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Vibhav Kumar.
Now the National Commission for Women (NCW) has intervened in the alleged incident and pledged to take action against the accused individual.
"Reportedly, Member of Rajya Sabha, Swati Maliwal, was assaulted at the residence of Delhi Chief Minister. The National Commission for Women is committed to ensuring justice (for Maliwal)... Urging the Delhi Police for action and dispatching an inquiry team," the NCW said in a post on X.
The NCW also announced that it would formally seek an action taken report from the Delhi Police within three days.
Earlier, DCP (North) Manoj Kumar Meena said that a PCR call was received at 9:34 am on Monday at the Civil Lines police station from a woman claiming to have been assaulted at the Chief Minister's residence.
A string of BJP spokespersons slammed the Delhi CM and called it a ‘plot to abuse and harass the dissenters’ at his residence.
Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal was thrashed by Kejriwal’s PA Bibhav. She had to call up the police to report the incident."
"Why Swati Maliwal was manhandled and beaten at the Chief Minister’s residence?" Sirsa asked while claiming that many such incidents have taken place in the past. He cited earlier instances of the Chief Secretary and AAP MLA being beaten at the CM’s residence.
Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva also hit out at Delhi CM and claimed that she was subjected to such treatment because of her habit of not mincing words.
"Swati Maliwal posed tough questions and this is why she was beaten by Kejriwal’s PA," Sachdeva told media persons and also added the BJP will protest strongly against such maltreatment of women in the city.
Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha President Richa Mishra condemned the incident and demanded action against Arvind Kejriwal, claiming that “he is now a threat to his own women representatives.”
"Swati Maliwal is untraceable after informing police that she was beaten inside Delhi CM’s house. I request Delhi LG and Delhi Police to act against Arvind Kejriwal for allowing such heinous crime inside his residence," Richa Mishra said.
Delhi BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya also slammed Kejriwal over the assault incident and hinted at ‘differences’ between Kejriwal and Maliwal.
"AAP RS MP and former DCW Chief Swati Maliwal alleges that Delhi CM’s PA assaulted her. Call made from Delhi CM’s House. Remember, Swati Maliwal had maintained radio silence on Kejriwal’s arrest. She was in fact not even in India at that time and didn’t return for a long time," Malviya wrote on X.
The row over the assault on Swati Maliwal inside Delhi CM’s residence broke out after she made a PCR call around 10 AM on Monday and complained against Vibhav Kumar. Following the phone call, the police also reached CM’s residence in Civil Lines.
Vibhav Kumar hogged the headlines recently after he was sacked as Delhi CM’s Personal Secretary by the Delhi Vigilance Department over the ‘illegal appointment’. He was also summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in February, for questioning in the Delhi excise policy case.
With inputs from IANS
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