Priyanka Gandhi was approached with a question regarding the controversy surrounding the alleged assault of Swati Maliwal, a former chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women and current Rajya Sabha member, which has placed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a challenging position. Maliwal claims she was assaulted by Bibhav Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal’s assistant, during a visit to the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence. Priyanka Gandhi, while campaigning in Raebareli for her brother Rahul Gandhi, responded cautiously to the inquiry. She emphasized her support for women who face injustice regardless of their political affiliation, suggesting that the AAP should handle the matter internally.
The AAP and Congress, once adversaries, have united under the INDIA Opposition bloc to contest against the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. While the two parties have formed an alliance in Delhi, they stand on opposite sides in Punjab. The BJP has seized upon the alleged assault case to target the AAP ahead of the upcoming polls in the national capital. This move comes amidst Arvind Kejriwal’s release on interim bail and his subsequent criticism of the BJP.
Kejriwal faced questions regarding the Swati Maliwal case during a press conference with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow. While Yadav redirected focus to other pressing issues, AAP MP Sanjay Singh, alongside Kejriwal, addressed the matter by highlighting various instances of alleged injustice and urging the Prime Minister and the BJP to respond.
In summary, Priyanka Gandhi’s response remained guarded, emphasizing support for women regardless of party affiliation, while the AAP sought to deflect attention by raising other contentious issues and accusing the BJP of political maneuvering.
