Maliwal, who claimed she was assaulted by Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar at the CM’s residence, stated she would have resigned from her Rajya Sabha MP position if the party had politely requested.
Amid the controversy surrounding the alleged assault of AAP MP Swati Maliwal at the Chief Minister’s residence, the former Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) chief clarified that she won’t step down from her Rajya Sabha seat.
Speaking to ANI, Maliwal, who claimed she was attacked by Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar, stated she would have resigned from her Rajya Sabha MP position if the party had asked her politely.
She emphasized that she wouldn’t resign even if pressured to do so.
“If they had needed my Rajya Sabha seat, they would have requested it. I would have readily given it up. The MP seat is a small matter. Throughout my career, I never pursued positions,” Maliwal told ANI.
“I left my engineering job to join these people in 2006 when we were unknown. I have worked tirelessly since then. I can function without any position. But after the way I’ve been treated, I will not resign now, no matter what pressure is applied,” the AAP leader asserted.
In the ongoing assault case, a Delhi court granted a five-day custodial interrogation of Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar, who was arrested from the CM’s residence. The court deemed the police remand necessary in the matter.
Allegedly, Kumar, who serves as Kejriwal’s assistant, assaulted AAP MP Swati Maliwal at the CM’s residence on May 13.
On Tuesday, Kumar was taken to Mumbai for the recovery of data from his phone, which he purportedly formatted before his arrest.
Police suspect Kumar formatted his phone after transferring its data to someone or a device in Mumbai.
Arvind Kejriwal’s Initial Response to the Maliwal Incident
In an interview with PTI, Arvind Kejriwal emphasized the need for a fair investigation into the alleged assault involving Maliwal, acknowledging the existence of conflicting accounts.
Additionally, he clarified that he harbors no ambition of becoming the next prime minister should the INDIA bloc secure victory in the Lok Sabha polls. Instead, he stated his goal is to safeguard the nation and its democracy from what he perceives as an encroaching “dictatorship.”
Responding to his statement, Maliwal remarked that irony had suffered a significant blow, noting that Kejriwal has now voiced his desire for a thorough and impartial investigation into the matter.