Atishi, a prominent AAP figure, on Saturday, asserted that Swati Maliwal, an MP from the same party, faces imminent arrest in connection with an unlawful recruitment case. Maliwal has accused Arvind Kejriwal’s associate, Bibhav Kumar, of assault, a charge Atishi alleges is part of a BJP-orchestrated conspiracy to malign the Chief Minister.
In an interaction with PTI-Video, Atishi, also a cabinet minister in the Delhi administration, suggested Maliwal’s unannounced visit to the Chief Minister’s official residence on Monday was suspicious.
“Why did she intrude? Why arrive uninvited at the Chief Minister’s residence? Arvind Kejriwal was preoccupied and did not meet her. Had he done so, the allegations now directed at Bibhav Kumar could easily have been aimed at him,” Atishi remarked.
She further accused the BJP of manipulating Maliwal to spearhead this “conspiracy.” “The BJP follows a consistent strategy: initiate legal proceedings and then intimidate leaders with the threat of incarceration. Swati Maliwal is embroiled in an illegal recruitment case under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Branch. An FIR has been lodged, and her arrest seems imminent. The BJP leveraged this to coerce Maliwal into becoming the face of their conspiracy,” the AAP leader contended.
Swati Maliwal has alleged that Kumar attacked her at Kejriwal’s residence, accusing him of slapping and kicking her in the chest and abdomen. The AAP has dismissed these allegations as “baseless.”
The Delhi Police registered an FIR on Thursday regarding the alleged assault, naming Kumar as the accused. Atishi argued that if the Delhi Police were truly impartial, it would also file an FIR based on Kumar’s complaint against Maliwal.
“Will the Delhi Police charge her with trespassing, compromising security, and obstructing a government official in his duties? If impartial, the police should act on Bibhav’s complaint just as they did on Maliwal’s,” she questioned.
“Her call logs should be scrutinized to uncover any communications with BJP leaders,” Atishi suggested. As part of their investigation, the Delhi Police on Friday escorted Maliwal to Kejriwal’s residence to reconstruct the incident. Her statement was also recorded before a magistrate at Tis Hazari court.