File photo of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (Associated Press photo)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today refused to comment on the summons issued by a women's commission to his senior party colleague Kumar Vishwas, the latest controversy to hit the Aam Aadmi Party. But he alleged that there were efforts to "defame AAP and the government."
"Why are you targeting our children and wives?" Mr Kejriwal asked, apparently directing his question at the media, which he accused of "accepting a supari or contract to finish off his Aam Aadmi Party" in a sharp attack yesterday.
"We have decided to keep quiet now. Questions about our government will be answered, but we won't answer on this," Mr Kejriwal said when asked to comment on the summons issued by the Delhi Commission for Women to Mr Vishwas and his wife on the complaint of an AAP woman volunteer.
The volunteer wants Mr Vishwas to publicly deny rumours that he had an affair with her and has complained that he has not done so despite repeated requests.
On Tuesday morning, women from the BJP's Delhi unit launched a raucous protest outside Mr Kejriwal's residence in the capital, demanding that he make his stand clear on the controversy.
Mr Vishwas has said he has received no summons from the Commission, which is headed by Barkha Shukla Singh of the Congress. Mr Vishwas alleges that rival parties Congress and BJP are trying to malign him and his party, smarting from the stinging blow delivered to them by AAPs colossal victory in the February Delhi elections.
"If the BJP's dirty mind department think that they can get away with character assassination they are wrong. I would like to request the women in your channels to please not let such sleazy people get away," Mr Vishwas said to reporters this morning.
"This is our duty to help her and we will help her for sure. People are getting what is the truth of AAP. Kumar Vishwas should come and meet us because this matter needs to be solved," said the women's panel chief Barkha Shukla Singh.