BJP attacks Arvind Kejriwal for silence on Swati Maliwal issue

New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday hit out at Arvind Kejriwal for maintaining silence at a press conference in Lucknow on the alleged assault on his party MP Swati Maliwal, alleging the Delhi chief minister is behaving more like a "goon".

BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia claimed Kejriwal is the main "criminal" in the complaint that his aide Bibhav Kumar had physically attacked Maliwal at the chief minister's residence, as he cited the telephone call she had made to the Delhi Police to report the matter.

"His (Kejriwal) silence speaks a lot. Out of jail, he is more a 'goonda' than a chief minister," he told reporters, noting that Kumar was seen with the chief minister in Lukcnow. Stringent action should be taken against the accused in the case.

Kumar, he noted, was photographed with Kejriwal during his visit to Lucknow.

The Aam Aadmi Party convener did not reply to a question about the incident at a press conference he addressed with Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav. AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who was also there, instead replied, saying his party has already made it stand clear on the issue.

Singh then went on to cite the incidents of crimes against women in Manipur, women wrestlers' complaint against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and the Prajwal Revanna case to hit back at the BJP. One should not play political game over the Maliwal issue as the AAP has made its stand clear, he said.

Singh had earlier admitted to the incident and pledged action. He had also met Maliwal at her residence.

Bhatia noted that Singh had acknowledged that a condemnable incident had occurred against Maliwal, saying that Kejriwal was expected to act in a case involving a party colleague. Instead, the accused is travelling with him like a "twin brother", he said.

"This shows Kejriwal has no commitment to justice for women. While the BJP is fighting for justice for an opposition leader," he said, accusing him of cowardice. He demanded that the AAP leader should break his silence or resign if he is a coward, Bhatia said.

Noting that the woman Rajya Sabha MP has been incommunicado, the BJP leader asked if she has been kidnapped or forcibly kept away from the public eye.

He also took a swipe at Yadav over his attempt to downplay the incident by claiming that it is not a big issue. Targeting the Samajwadi Party, he recalled later SP leader Mulayan Singh Yadav's controversial defence of some men accused of rape by claiming "they are boys, they at times make mistakes".