Swati Maliwal blackmailed by BJP as she faces corruption case: AAP

New Delhi, May 18

Senior AAP leader Atishi on Saturday claimed that the BJP “blackmailed” Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal to become part of a “conspiracy” against Kejriwal as she faces a corruption case. She added that the former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief faces arrest in an illegal recruitment case by the Anti-Corruption Bureau for “wrongly” recruiting contractual employees in the DCW. This case has been ongoing for several years, and an FIR and a chargesheet have already been filed against her. Now, the matter is nearing its conclusion.

Swati Maliwal is facing charges in an illegal recruitment case registered by the Anti-Corruption Branch. An FIR has been registered in the case and it is at a stage where she could be arrested. — Atishi, Delhi minister

Atishi further alleged that it has become a standard operating procedure for the BJP to file cases against Opposition leaders through the ED, CBI, police, Economic Offences Wing and Anti-Corruption Bureau. Comparing Maliwal’s case to those of Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel and Himanta Biswa Sarma, the AAP leader alleged that under the same formula, Maliwal is also being threatened by the BJP.

“The BJP may have pressurised Maliwal by threatening jail and punishment,” she alleged. Atishi, who is also a Cabinet Minister in the Delhi Government, claimed that Maliwal went to the CM’s official residence on Monday without an appointment.

Meanwhile, the AAP on Saturday released the CCTV footage from May 13 from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence that shows Maliwal being escorted out by the police and security guards without “torn clothes and injuries”. Atishi said according to Maliwal’s FIR, after the alleged attack, she was not in a position to walk and was writhing in pain, but the CCTV footage tells a different story.

“It is clearly visible in the video that she is walking comfortably and at a good pace without any problem. Even when she’s going out, she can be seen pushing a female police personnel who was escorting her outside. She was pointing fingers at the police personnel and threatening them. Her clothes were not torn, there was no injury on her head, she was not limping and she’s not even crying in pain,” Atishi said.

“It is evident that whatever allegations she has made in her police complaint are absolutely false,” she alleged. Atishi mentioned that on Friday, another 52-second video emerged on social media showing Maliwal threatening the security officials of the CM’s residence and abusing Kumar.

“Both videos that have come to the fore prove that the allegations levelled by Maliwal are part of another big conspiracy being hatched against Kejriwal by the BJP,” she added. The AAP leader also alleged that the BJP is using the Delhi Police for its motives, and that this case is being monitored directly from the highest level of the BJP.