Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma accused Delhi Counterpart Arvind Kejriwal of criminal behaviour, following the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal. He emphasised the importance of justice over political affiliations and criticised Kejriwal’s silence on the matter.
During a media interaction in Odisha’s Khordha, CM Himanta highlighted Maliwal’s formal complaint to the Delhi Police, condemning the alleged misconduct against her. He questioned Kejriwal’s lack of response, asking, “Why is Arvind Kejriwal silent? Where was he during the incident? Was he in the same room or not? Why is Kejriwal still associating with that man (Bibhav Kumar)? Why hasn’t he taken action against him? Kejriwal has become a criminal now, as reconfirmed by Swati Maliwal’s post today.”
Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed bewilderment over Kejriwal’s continued association with Bibhav Kumar, the individual implicated in the case, and urged for decisive action against him.
In the aftermath of the incident between Swati Maliwal and Bibhav Kumar, an aide to Kejriwal, new developments have emerged, shedding light on the situation and its fallout. Notably, Bibhav Kumar was seen accompanying Kejriwal at the Lucknow airport, raising questions amidst the ongoing controversy. This incident occurred mere days after the reported misbehaviour involving Bibhav Kumar and Maliwal.
Aam Aadmi Party-AAP leader Sanjay Singh was also seen alongside Kejriwal during his visit to Lucknow, where they held a joint press conference with Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav. This public appearance, contrasted with Kejriwal’s silence on the Swati Maliwal assault case, drew sharp criticism, particularly from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Shehzad Poonawalla, who accused Kejriwal of protecting Bibhav Kumar.
Poonawalla’s scathing remarks on social media highlighted the perception that Kejriwal’s inaction equated to complicity in the alleged attack on Maliwal. This sentiment was echoed by BJP’s Tajinder Bagga, who pointed out the discrepancy between Singh’s assurances of decisive action against Bibhav Kumar and Kejriwal’s apparent disregard for the severity of the situation.
Adding complexity to the events, Swati Maliwal’s accusation against a member of Kejriwal’s personal staff was initially met with skepticism by the police, who revealed the absence of a formal complaint from Maliwal. It led to procedural hurdles in addressing such incidents and raises questions about the efficacy of the justice system in promptly dealing with cases of alleged assault.
