Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said she was shocked at Arvind Kejriwal's silence.
After Arvind Kejriwal's aide was charged in an FIR based on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal's assault complaint, the BJP today stepped up its attacks on the Delhi Chief Minister and his party.
After three days of silence, Ms Maliwal gave a statement to the police last evening and filed a complaint against Bibhav Kumar, Mr Kejriwal's aide. Her complaint and post on X triggered a fresh wave of allegations from the BJP, which labelled Mr Kejriwal as the "main criminal" in the incident.
Ms Maliwal in a police complaint has accused Mr Kumar of assaulting her in the drawing room of Mr Kejriwal's official residence, with the Chief Minister present in the house at the time.
READ | "Slapped 7-8 Times, Kicked In Chest, Stomach": Swati Maliwal In FIR
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said she was shocked at Mr Kejriwal's silence and termed the whole episode "utterly shameful".
"It is shocking that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has not spoken a word about his party MP Swati Maliwal, who was misbehaved with and beaten up in the Chief Minister's residence. He has not acted or responded or spoken about it. Today, I am being told that in Uttar Pradesh, he was seen walking around with the accused. It's utterly shameful." Ms Sitharaman stated.
Addressing a press conference today, the Finance Minister stressed that there is no room for deflection or "whataboutery" in addressing the matter.
"There cannot be any whataboutery in this. This assault happened in CM's residence when he was present in the house by his own right-hand man. Symbolism cannot be ignored. Kejriwal should come forward and speak. No action has been taken against the accused. Kejriwal is shamelessly moving around with Bibhav Kumar," she said.
READ | "What Happened To Me Was Very Bad": Swati Maliwal On Assault Row
Echoing similar sentiments, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "There should not be any politics on this. We are not aligned with her ideologically, but when there is a crime against women, it is our job to raise our voices. Swati Maliwal has given a complaint to the Delhi Police. She has said that what has happened to her is very wrong. The question is why is Arvind Kejriwal silent? Where was he when it was happening? Was he in the same room or not? Why is Kejriwal still roaming with that man (Bibhav Kumar)? Why is he not taking action against him? Kejriwal has become a criminal now and this has been reconfirmed by Swati Maliwal's tweet today."
Ms Maliwal last night took to social media to share her distressing experience and urged against politicising the issue. "What happened to me was very bad. I have given my statement to the police on the incident that happened to me. I hope that appropriate action will be taken. The last few days have been very difficult for me. I thank those who prayed for me. Those who tried to do character assassination said that I was doing it on the instructions of a party. May God keep them happy too. An important election is underway in the country. Swati Maliwal is not important, the issues of the country are important. There is a special request to the BJP to not do politics on this incident," Ms Maliwal posted.
Mr Kejriwal deflected questions regarding the incident during a press conference in Lucknow yesterday. Appearing alongside Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and AAP MP Sanjay Singh, the Delhi Chief Minister remained silent while Mr Singh acknowledged Mr Kumar's misconduct and redirected criticism towards the BJP.
In a show of solidarity, the Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha staged a protest near Mr Kejriwal's residence today, demanding his resignation and carrying bangles as a symbolic gesture of their discontent. Led by Mahila Morcha president Richa Pandey Mishra, the protesters called for strict action against the accused and criticised Mr Kejriwal for his silence.