Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's silence on the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal was "shocking". Sitharaman said the treatment meted out to Maliwal, who headed the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), was shameful.
"It is shocking that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has not spoken a word about his party MP Swati Maliwal who was misbehaved with and beaten up in the CM's residence. The CM has not acted, responded or spoken about it," Sitharaman told the media in Kolkata.
The minister also hit out at the AAP chief after his aide Bibhav Kumar, who allegedly assaulted Maliwal, was spotted with the Delhi Chief Minister at the Lucknow airport on Wednesday.
"I am told that in Uttar Pradesh, he (Kejriwal) was seen walking around with the accused... It is utterly shameful that a woman who headed the Delhi Commission for Women is treated like this," Sitharaman said.
On Thursday, the Delhi Police registered an FIR in connection with the case after Maliwal filed a police complaint. Bibhav Kumar has been named as an accused.
The FIR was registered after Maliwal's statement was recorded by a Delhi Police team at the Rajya Sabha member's residence.
In her complaint, the AAP MP alleged that Bibhav Kumar slapped, kicked her, beat her with a stick, and punched her in the stomach, sources said.
The development came two days after Maliwal went to the Civil Lines police station and alleged that a member of Arvind Kejriwal's personal staff "assaulted" her at the Chief Minister's official residence.
A day later, Sanjay Singh, in a press conference, confirmed the allegations, saying Kumar "misbehaved" with Maliwal and the AAP supremo would take strict action in the matter.
