The silence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the Swati Maliwal assault row has riled up ally Congress. While the Grand Old Party’s hand is forced by coalition ‘maryada’, in private, there are calls for action.
Top sources in the Congress told News18 that they have got in touch with the AAP leadership and told them that the party needs to do more and not give a handle to the BJP with polls in the national capital on May 25. It also conveyed that it needs to do more to control the narrative and not look like it is taking sides against Maliwal.
In fact, Congress was not too happy with AAP leader Atishi’s press conference as it felt it gave the impression that AAP was running down Maliwal and was anti-women.
The problem for the Congress is manifold. As an alliance partner, it will be forced to remain silent or mildly raise its voice. However, as a party which has been hit by similar allegations of not standing by women colleagues, Congress will not be happy with the development. In fact, Radhika Khera — who just quit the Congress to join the BJP — has accused the top leadership of remaining silent when she complained of harassment by male colleagues of the Chhattisgarh Congress. On the Maliwal issue, Khera accused Priyanka Vadra of duplicity.
On the Maliwal issue, Congress spokespersons have been asked to be reticent and restrained. Priyanka Vadra’s response has given a cue as she said: “We always support women and we are waiting to see what the facts are”.
Commenting on the issue, Congress in-charge of Delhi and Haryana, Deepak Babaria, said: “Senior leader of our party, Priyanka-ji, has made it clear that we are with the victim whenever there is any incident of misbehaviour towards women. Whatever has happened in the Swati Maliwal row, a case has been filed and all issues will be investigated. If something has happened to her, our sympathies are with her but it’s the AAP’s internal matter. We don’t want to get tangled in the internal matter of our friends in the alliance. I don’t trust the statement of the Delhi Police as I have experienced that be it ED, CBI or Delhi Police, BJP manipulates all these. The truth will come out only through courts.”
The Congress is uncomfortable with the way many AAP leaders are attacking Maliwal on social media and projecting her as a BJP stooge. While some in Congress are watching to see whether Maliwal joins the BJP, the Grand Old Party doesn’t think it would be a good idea to be seen as rubbishing Maliwal on the eve of polls.
For now, the dilemma with an unusual alliance continues.
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