Either Kejriwal should sack his assistant, or he himself should quit as CM: BJP on Maliwal case

New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday flayed AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal over the alleged incident of misbehaviour with his party MP Swati Maliwal and demanded either he ask his assistant Bibhav Kumar, who is the accused, to resign or he himself quit as chief minister.

Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Shazia Ilmi, who was formerly with the Aam Aadmi Party, also expressed concern over Maliwal's safety and questioned Kejriwal if she was being intimidated and pressured into reaching "some kind of a compromise".

She also targeted the opposition INDIA bloc, questioning the alleged silence of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party president Mallikarjun Karage as well as TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on the issue.

According to the Delhi police, Maliwal on Monday went to the Civil Lines Police Station and alleged that a member of Kejriwal's personal staff "assaulted' her at the chief minister's official residence. Police have not yet received a formal complaint.

Latching on to the alleged incident, Ilmi said, "It is obvious that she had been beaten up at the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal... I know all the characters (in Aam Aadmi Party) very well. It is impossible that Kejriwal's right hand (Bibhav Kumar) would do so without being ordered to do so by Kejriwal." "It is indeed very serious. Arvind Kejriwal should come clean on this, offer his resignation if he cannot ask Bibhav to resign," she added.

BJP leaders and workers, including activists of its Mahila Morcha, staged a protest on Wednesday near the Delhi chief minister's residence, demanding a probe into the incident.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva questioned the silence of Kejriwal over the alleged incident and demanded action against those guilty.

"It is a matter of respect and honour of a woman who has been the chief of the Delhi Commission for Women. We are here to support her. AAP leader Sanjay Singh has admitted the incident. Why is not Kejriwal lodging a police complaint against the person who is involved in it," Sachdeva asked.