AAP’s Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal. (File image: PTI)
The AAP Rajya Sabha member said in the exclusive conversation with CNN-News18’s Zakka Jacob that she is prepared to undergo a narco-analysis test for the alleged assault case
Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal said in an exclusive interview with CNN-News18’s Zakka Jacob on Saturday that she had been left traumatised by the alleged assault at the hands of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s personal assistant, Bibhav Kumar, at the CM’s residence on May 13.
“I am not doing well, I am feeling anxious,” said Maliwal. “I wake up with a sick feeling in my stomach. The moment I am alone I feel anxious and scared…I am feeling a lot of pain and going through a lot of trauma.”
In his first reaction on the issue, Kejriwal on Wednesday said he expects a fair investigation into the matter and that justice should be served in the case.
Reacting to his comment, Maliwal said irony died a thousand deaths, adding that Kejriwal has finally said that he wants a free and fair investigation into the matter.
She told CNN-News18, “I have handled 170,000 cases being DCW (Delhi Commission for Women) chairperson, I have talked to survivors, but I did not fully understand it till now…It will take a lifetime for this, as it was done by my friends. Till you yourself undergo it, you don’t understand it, you think you will retaliate. But when it happened to me, when he hit me 7-8 times, I could not do anything. I could only push him back. He kicked me several times. Besides hitting me physically he attacked my arrogance that nobody can hit me. I also thought that I wouldn’t get scared, but the last few days I have been very scared.”
Taking on Maliwal, AAP senior leader and Delhi cabinet minister Atishi has claimed that ever since Kejriwal has come out on interim bail, “new conspiracies” are being hatched by the BJP against him.
Narrating what allegedly happened to her, Maliwal told CNN-News18, “On May 13 at 9am, I went to meet Arvind ji, I was told to sit on the sofa and was informed Arvind ji would come in some time, and suddenly Bibhav came. He abused me and screamed at me. Then I asked him what happened. He hit me…he hurled abuses at me. It was totally unprovoked. I dialed 112. When I was calling, he rushed out, brought security guys, and started making a video and that cut video was shown. I wanted Delhi Police to come inside and take control of the situation. Then I lost my cool and said those things. When I went to the police station, I started getting calls from the media. I got scared and went to the house…Sanjay Singh came to meet me and after that, he met Bibhav, and did the press conference the next day.”
Maliwal also said that the videos shared by AAP of the incident are trimmed. “If the whole video comes out the truth will be clear,” she said. “Bibhav has formatted his phone. Would he have done that if he had some incriminating evidence against me?”
The AAP leader also said that she is prepared to undergo a narco-analysis test. She also refused to give up her Rajya Sabha seat.
“If they had asked nicely to give up Rajya Sabha, I would have said just give me one session and I will do that. But after all this victim-shaming and character assassination, now I will not resign,” she said.
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