Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has alleged that the Delhi Police will visit his residence on Thursday to interrogate his parents. Though Kejriwal did not add further details or mention the reason, speculations are that it is in connection with the Swati Maliwal assault case.
"Tomorrow, Delhi Police will come to interrogate my old and ailing parents," he said in a post in Hindi on X.
Swati Maliwal, Rajya Sabha MP of the party, had alleged that she was "assaulted" by Kejriwal's personal assistant Bibhav Kumar when she went to meet the chief minister on May 13. The police have registered a case and arrested Kumar. However, AAP denied the accusation, stating Maliwal was a pawn in the hands of the BJP.
The AAP had earlier hit out at the BJP over the issue, questioning the party if it thought Kejriwal's parents were involved in the alleged assault.
कल दिल्ली पुलिस मेरे बूढ़े और बीमार माता पिता से पूछताछ करने आएगी।
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 22, 2024
AAP senior leader and Delhi cabinet minister Atishi said in a press conference on Wednesday that ever since Kejriwal has come out on interim bail, "new conspiracies" were being hatched by the BJP against him. "Now they used a cheap tactic. PM Modi has asked his Delhi Police to question Kejriwal's elderly and ailing parents," she claimed and added that the people of Delhi will respond to it with their votes.
"I want to ask the PM and BJP. His parents are aged around 80-85. Kejriwal's father cannot walk without support. His mother spent a long time in hospital and came back recently. Does he believe that they assaulted Maliwal? Do they think that Maliwal who was threatening police personnel as seen in a video footage was attacked by the elderly people? Have they stooped to this level that they will carry out atrocities on his parents and target him?" she said.
"Like Shravan Kumar, he took people on their pilgrimage. He has been given blessings by every elderly person for serving them. Today his parents are being subjected to such atrocities. I want to appeal to the elderly that they should respond with their votes to this cheap tactic."
Meanwhile, Kejriwal on Wednesday reacted to the case, stating that he expected a fair investigation into the matter and that justice should be served in the case. In an interview with PTI, the chief minister said the matter is currently "sub-judice" and his comment might affect the proceedings.
To this, Maliwal reacted: "After unleashing the entire army of leaders and volunteers at me, calling me a BJP agent, assassinating my character, leaking edited videos, victim shaming me, roaming around with the accused, letting him re-enter the crime scene and tamper evidence and protesting in favour of the accused, the Chief Minister, in whose drawing-room I was beaten up, has finally said that he wants free and fair investigation in the matter. Irony died a thousand deaths. I don't buy this one bit," she said in a post on X.
(With PTI inputs)
