New Delhi: The Delhi BJP on Saturday sharpened its attack on Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal, demanding her suspension by the Lieutenant Governor for a fair police probe of her alleged molestation charges.
In a letter to Lt Governor VK Saxena, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor requested him to suspend Ms Maliwal till the completion of the police inquiry into the incident of alleged molestation with her on January 19.
Mr Kapoor said reports indicate the man accused of molesting the DCW chief was an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) worker.
The alleged incident occurred near AIIMS in the early hours of January 19 when Ms Maliwal on a spot check of women’s safety measures in the city was approached by a car driver, who was allegedly in an inebriated condition.
Everyone condemned the incident, and it was satisfying to note that Delhi Police acted swiftly after the incident was reported and arrested the accused within an hour, Mr Kapoor said.
“…But social media reports on this, as well as media reports, indicate that the molestor involved Harish Chandra Suryavanshi is an active worker of Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party from Sangam Vihar,” the BJP spokesperson said.
There are photographs of Harish Chandra Suryavanshi campaigning with an AAP MLA, he added.
“This development revealing the accused’s connection with Aam Aadmi Party has exposed Swati Maliwal, and she will try her best to influence the police inquiry in the matter by using her constitutional office,” Mr Kapoor alleged.
He urged the LG to suspend Ms Maliwal from the post of DCW chairperson till the inquiry of the alleged molestation incident is completed so that she cannot “misuse her position” to “influence” it, Mr Kapoor wrote in his letter.
The BJP had on Friday also raised questions over DCW chief Ms Maliwal’s molestation claims, alleging that the person she accused is an AAP member and her “drama” was part of a conspiracy that was “exposed”.
Swati Maliwal had alleged that she was molested by a drunk man while on an inspection at night and dragged for 10-15 metres by his car outside AIIMS with her hand stuck in the vehicle’s window.
Delhi BJP working president Virendra Sachdeva had said Suryavanshi, accused of harassing Ms Maliwal, is actually a prominent activist of the AAP in Sangam Vihar.
Mr Sachdeva had shared a photo in which the accused was seen campaigning with AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal.
