AAP leader Swati Maliwal – who has accused party boss Arvind Kejriwal‘s aide, Bibhav Kumar, of assaulting her inside the Delhi Chief Minister’s home in the city’s Civil Lines – has responded sharply to a 52-second mobile phone video shared Friday afternoon, in which she is seen (briefly) and heard arguing with, and shouting at, security officials who told her to leave the building.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ms Maliwal also referred to a “political hitman” – a remark seen by many as aimed at Mr Kejriwal – and claimed the “hitman” had directed “his people” to share the video in question to build a narrative to defend the party and “save himself (after) committing this crime”.
“Like every time… this political hitman has started efforts to save himself. By getting his people to tweet and play videos without any context, he thinks he can save himself (after) committing this crime.”
“Who makes a video of someone being beaten up? The truth will be revealed when CCTV footage of the house and room is checked,” Ms Maliwal declared.
हर बार की तरह इस बार भी इस राजनीतिक हिटमैन ने ख़ुद को बचाने की कोशिशें शुरू कर दी हैं।
अपने लोगों से ट्वीट्स करवाके, आधि बिना संदर्भ की वीडियो चलाके इसे लगता है ये इस अपराध को अंजाम देके ख़ुद को बचा लेगा। कोई किसी को पीटते हुए वीडियो बनाता है भला? घर के अंदर की और कमरे की CCTV…
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) May 17, 2024
“Fall to whatever level you want… God is watching. One day, the truth will be revealed.”
In a sign the relationship between the AAP and Ms Maliwal has broken down, the party shared a news report of the video with the terse message, “The truth of Swati Maliwal.”
Swati Maliwal vs Kejriwal Security Guards Video
In the video – which begins in the middle of the argument, and only briefly shows Ms Maliwal, seated on a couch – the security officials ask her get up (and leave the premises). To this Ms Maliwal responds, angrily, “… I will not. I will do it. I will do it. Today, I will tell these people everything.”
One of the guards responds, “Yes, you can… that is your headache…” and is then interrupted by Ms Maliwal, who says, “You will let me talk to the DCP (Deputy Commissioner of Police)… right now.”
The guard says, “Yes… we will inform the DCP right away. Till then, you please come with us.”
A defiant Ms Maliwal then says she will complain to cops at the Civil Lines Police Station, which has jurisdiction over the area in which Mr Kejriwal lives. “That cannot happen here… you please come with us,” the guard says again, to which Ms Maliwal says fiercely, “No. Now this will happen here.”
“This will happen here…” she says again, adding, “And I will eat your if job you touch me.”
All this time the video pans between the officer arguing with Ms Maliwal and the ground, but then shows the AAP leader for the first time; she is wearing a pink top and is sitting on the couch.
“We humbly request you to move…” the security guard is then heard saying.
READ | Swati Maliwal’s FIR Recounts Attack At Kejriwal Home: How It Happened
At this point Ms Maliwal declares she has made an emergency call to the police (on the 112 helpline for women in distress) and responds, “Let the police come…” and argues again with the guard.
On Monday Delhi Police – which has filed a case against Bibhav Kumar based on a statement provided by Ms Maliwal – said it had received two calls from within Mr Kejriwal’s residence. The cops said the phone number was registered to Ms Maliwal but the caller did not identify themselves.
In the final seconds of the video Ms Maliwal – off the grid till late last evening, when she met a police team at her residence to record her statement – also dares the guards to physically eject her.
She also seems to curse one of the officers, triggering a rebuke. “Madam, you cannot speak like this,” the guard responds, to which Ms Maliwal says, “Just because you have a CCTV camera…”
The video ends at this point.
The AAP has yet to respond – both to the video and Ms Maliwal’s tweet outburst.
“What Happened To Me Was Very Bad…”
On Thursday, in her first public comment on this row, Ms Maliwal called for action against those who allegedly attacked her, and wrote on X, “The last few days have been very difficult…”
READ | “What Happened To Me Was Very Bad”: Swati Maliwal On Assault Row
She also hit out at critics who have suggested her actions and claims were being orchestrated by “the other party”; the comment has been seen as referring to the BJP, which has launched multiple severe criticism of Mr Kejriwal and the AAP ahead of the election in Delhi, accusing both of being “anti-women”.
READ | “Shameless”: Nirmala Sitharaman Slams Kejriwal In Swati Maliwal Row
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman led the attack this morning, calling Mr Kejriwal “shameless” for continuing to associate with Bibhav Kumar and demanding the Chief Minister apologise.
Swati Maliwal Assault Row
Mr Kumar – whom Ms Maliwal has accused of slapping her seven times and kicking her in the chest and stomach – faces multiple charges, including assault, criminal intimidation, and outraging a woman’s modesty.
READ | “Slapped 7-8 Times, Kicked In Chest, Stomach”: Swati Maliwal In FIR
He also received a summons from the National Commission of Women.
On Tuesday – 24 hours after the alleged assault – party MP Sanjay Singh told reporters Ms Maliwal had done “great work for the people and the country, and is one of AAP’s senior-most leaders…”
READ | Kejriwal Office Staffer “Misbehaved” With Swati Maliwal: AAP Leader
“We stand with her and will deal with the issue seriously, as per Mr Kejriwal’s order. The AAP does not support such behaviour,” he said. The BJP countered swiftly, demanding to know why it had taken the party over a day to respond to an assault that took place inside the Chief Minister’s home.
READ | Priyanka Gandhi’s Guarded Response On Swati Maliwal Assault Case
Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the only major opposition leader to have commented so far, said, “I always stand with women, irrespective of which party they belong to.”
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