Lok Sabha Polls 2024 | Swati Maliwal 'assault' allegations: FM Sitharaman demands Kejriwal apologise

The senior BJP leader cited charges of attack on women against several AAP leaders, including its New Delhi Lok Sabha candidate Somnath Bharti, to claim that it is an anti-women party.

New Delhi: The BJP on Friday fielded senior party leader Nirmala Sitharaman to question the silence of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on the Swati Maliwal assault case.

Calling the I.N.D.I.A. Alliance anti-woman and that it has not fielded a single woman in Delhi, the finance minister said the matter is "unacceptable" and “Kejriwal must apologise”. 

Speaking to reporters at the BJP headquarters, Sitharaman said that Kejriwal has not uttered a word about the attack since May 13.

“He speaks a lot about women’s safety but has not said anything about the current issue,” the finance minister said. 

"When the chief minister is at home, his personal assistant attacks a Rajya Sabha MP in his presence. The next day, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that action will be taken. Where is the action? He was in Lucknow with Bibhav Kumar without shame. There are no limits to shamelessness," she added. 

She said AAP MP Sanjay Singh had promised action in the case but Kejriwal was seen the next day in Lucknow with the accused, a close aide. He was 'shamelessly' moving around with him, which amounted to rubbing salt in the wound, she said. "This is height of shamelessness."

The BJP leader cited past instances of accusations of attacking women against several AAP leaders, including its New Delhi Lok Sabha candidate Somnath Bharti, and called the party an "anti-women" party.

The finance minister said that Madhu Bhaduri, a former IFS officer and a founding member of the AAP, quit the party saying women were not treated as humans in it and that it had a 'khap panchayat' mindset.

Taking a swipe at the Congress, the finance minister said the Gandhi family members will be voting for Bharti, who was accused of assaulting his pregnant wife.

It is "unbelievable and unacceptable" that Kejriwal has not spoken a word on attack on his party MP, she said.

Maliwal on Friday filed an FIR in the case, accusing Bibhav Kumar of assaulting her at the chief minister's official residence.

Sitharaman said Maliwal was assaulted when Kejriwal was in his house.

Kejriwal should apologise, she said and claimed that women in the national capital are wondering that if he is capable of ensuring safety to them.

Sitharaman said I.N.D.I.A. bloc parties should ask Kejriwal to come clean on the issue. Their slogans for women will be otherwise nothing but a lip service, she said.

Noting that it took Maliwal a few days to officially lodge a complaint with police, she said it showed that she has been under high-level pressure.

Maliwal is a former Delhi Commission for Women chief.