Launching a scathing attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over an alleged assault incident of sitting Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, the BJP on Friday alleged that the AAP’s national convenor is fully focused on protecting his aide Bibhav Kumar in the matter.

Bibhav Kumar, the aide of the Delhi chief minister, was arrested on May 18 in connection with the alleged assault on Maliwal on May 13.

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On May 16, the Delhi Police lodged an FIR against Delhi CM’s aide Bibhav Kumar in connection with the alleged assault on Maliwal that took place on May 13 at CM Kejriwal’s official residence.

Addressing a press conference here, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia highlighted that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who holds a constitutional post and is known for questioning others, has remained silent on an alleged assault incident involving a woman MP in his own house.

“During the interview, Swati Maliwal revealed that she was slapped 7-8 times by Arvind Kejriwal’s PA and his associates, who also used vulgar language, all in the presence of CM Arvind Kejriwal. The incident happened on May 13th, and even after 12 days, CM Kejriwal has not uttered a word about it. How can Kejriwal claim to fight for women’s rights and dignity if he cannot stand up for a woman in his own house?” the BJP national spokesperson said.

Bhatia emphasised that it is the duty of the Chief Minister to stand with the victim, regardless of political affiliations, and to ensure that the culprit is punished.

The BJP national spokesperson said, “Silence speaks a thousand words, and Arvind Kejriwal’s silence reveals his true character.”

“CCTV footage of the CM’s residence has vanished. Swati Maliwal stated that Bibhav Kumar was recording a video of 8-10 minutes duration on his phone when she was being assaulted. The biggest question is whether CCTV footage was deleted and even Bibhav Kumar’s phone data has been formatted. The 8-10-minute video on Bibhav Kumar’s phone has the reality about the incident; however, Kejriwal got scared because his anti-women mindset would be exposed if anyone found that video,” Bhatia said.

The BJP national spokesperson said, “Arvind Kejriwal’s PA, Bibhav Kumar, made a video containing facts that not only the people of Delhi but the whole nation want to know, exposing that the CM is anti-women. If Kejriwal wished, he could have instructed Bibhav Kumar to hand over the phone and video to the police, but he decided against it to safeguard Bibhav Kumar.”

Bhatia said, “This circumstantial evidence leads to only one conclusion: ‘Prima Facie’ or ‘Subject to trial.’ When the CCTV was destroyed, it clearly revealed that a heinous crime had been committed, and Arvind Kejriwal is trying his best to destroy the evidence. The evidence is proof of the culpability of Arvind Kejriwal and Bibhav Kumar. The second piece of circumstantial evidence is the formatting of Bibhav Kumar’s phone.”

The BJP national spokesperson said, “If there was nothing incriminating in the video to reveal the truth and expose Arvind Kejriwal as the mastermind, then why did Bibhav Kumar format his mobile phone? Bibhav Kumar could have simply handed it over to the police, and the truth would have come out. Arvind Kejriwal’s silence further clarifies his stance that he is not supporting the victimized woman but standing with the accused.”

“Kejriwal is fully focused on protecting Bibhav Kumar. Ensuring justice for the female leader, a member of parliament and an AAP member, is not Kejriwal’s priority; rather, his priority is to shield Bibhav Kumar. The only reason for this is that if Bibhav Kumar gets caught and confesses the truth, the entire country will know that the real culprit behind this incident is Arvind Kejriwal. This is why such measures are being taken,” Bhatia said.