L-G Saxena supports Maliwal

New Delhi, May 21

Publicly supporting AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) VK Saxena said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s “deafening silence” on the alleged assault on Maliwal “speaks volumes of his stance on the safety of women” and stressed that the CM should have not been “evasive” and “dodgy” on the issue.

Arvind Kejriwal’s deafening silence on the ‘assault’ on Maliwal speaks volumes of his stance on the safety of women. The CM should have not been evasive on the issue. — VK Saxena, Lieutenant-Governor

Saxena saab, perhaps you have forgotten, the wrestler daughters sat on a dharna at Jantar Mantar. Why did you remain silent on the whole issue? Why didn’t you go to meet them? Then were you not worried about the image of Delhi and India? — Saurabh Bharadwaj, AAP leader

In a statement, Saxena expressed being “deeply distressed” over the media narrative and

recounted how Maliwal contacted him in “sheer anguish” to detail her traumatic experience and subsequent intimidation by her colleagues.

The L-G criticised the handling of the incident, noting, “It is most disturbing to note that the alleged scene of the crime was the CM’s drawing room and he was at home.”

He added, “Her fellow member of Rajya Sabha confirmed her narrative in full media glare, and assured that the CM would take firm action against the culprit — his aide. Subsequently, a total U-turn was done in the matter, apparently at the behest of the highest functionary.”

In response, the AAP claimed the L-G’s support for Maliwal indicated she was “working for the BJP”. They asserted that the letter from Saxena confirmed their suspicions of her allegiance to the BJP.

Senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, in a post on X, said, “Saxena Saab, perhaps you have forgotten, the wrestler daughters who won medals for the country were sitting on a ‘dharna’ at Jantar Mantar. They were sitting in the sun and rain. They had to file an FIR that BJP MP Brij Bhushan had sexually exploited them. Then the Delhi Police under you did not even register an FIR. Tell me why it was not registered? The FIR was only registered after the SC orders.”

“But despite the case under Section 354, the BJP MP was not arrested even for a day. The Delhi Police is under you, tell me why he was not arrested? Why did you remain silent on the whole issue? Why didn’t you go to meet them? Then were you not worried about the international image of Delhi and India? The police under your command brutally beat these daughters at midnight. Tell me what action you took? The same night Swati Maliwal was also dragged on the road by the police. Tell me what action you took? ‘Thoda girebaan mein jhankiye’ (Take a little peek inside),” the post concluded.

The AAP has alleged that Maliwal is facing an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in connection with an alleged recruitment scam, claiming that contractual employees were recruited in the Delhi Commission for Women in an illegal manner.