BJP claims Maliwal 'assault' linked to Kejriwal's wish to send senior lawyer to RS; AAP hits back

Arvind Kejriwal. File Pic

The Delhi BJP on Sunday claimed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wanted to send a senior lawyer to the Rajya Sabha and the alleged assault on Swati Maliwal, an AAP member of the Upper House, was connected to it. The Aam Aadmi Party hit back saying the BJP has "no narrative or vision to offer to the people" and is therefore resorting "to jailing all opposition leaders and making ridiculous allegations every day like this one".

The BJP's Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva also asked how AAP came to the conclusion about the saffron party's involvement in the matter when Maliwal was allegedly assaulted at Kejriwal's residence by his close aide Bibhav Kumar. AAP leaders have claimed that Maliwal's allegation is a conspiracy by the BJP to trap Kejriwal.

Kejriwal on Sunday claimed the BJP has launched "Operation Jhadoo" to crush AAP as the saffron party sees his party as a "challenge". The BJP's Delhi chief Sachdeva, however, said AAP supremo Kejriwal is enacting a "political drama" over Maliwal's "assault" charge while maintaining silence on the issue. The Delhi chief minister and AAP leaders held a protest near the BJP headquarters in the national capital earlier in the day.

Kejriwal had earlier alleged that Narendra Modi was playing a "game" of sending AAP leaders to jail and announced to march with his leaders, MLAs, MPs and ministers to the BJP headquarters so that anyone the prime minister wanted could be arrested and sent to jail. At a press conference, Sachdeva said, "It's a new political drama by Kejriwal. He is free to stage protests and dharnas but he should at least once utter a word for Maliwal, who has been closely associated with him and his party for two decades."

Alleging that the "assault" on Mailwal was linked to Kejriwal's desire to send a senior lawyer to the Upper House, Sachdeva said the Delhi chief minister is concerned over Kumar's arrest because he is privy to his "wrongdoings and corruption". Maliwal alleged that Kumar assaulted her on May 13 when she had gone to the chief minister's residence to meet him.

Kumar was arrested on Saturday and produced in a court, which remanded him in five-day police custody. The Delhi Police has booked Kumar for molestation and attempted culpable homicide after Maliwal's complaint. Sachdeva alleged that the Maliwal assault case has "exposed" Kejriwal and his claim that AAP is an ideology is "bogus". His only ideology is "loot and corruption", he charged.

Responding to the allegations, the AAP issued a statement and said: "BJP should first answer to the people why did it make Prajwal Revanna escape India on a diplomatic passport? Why is BJP standing with Brij Bhushan Singh and giving a ticket to his son, knowing that he has sexually harassed our champion women wrestlers?"

Kejriwal has said that despite the BJP and the prime minister's efforts to crush AAP by arresting its leaders, the party will not break apart because it is a thought that has influenced millions across the country.

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