Kejriwal has become a criminal now: Himanta Biswa Sarma on Swati Maliwal assault case

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on May 16, accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of criminal behaviour in light of the alleged assault on AAP MP Swati Maliwal. Sarma emphasised that justice must take precedence over political affiliations and condemned the silence from Kejriwal on the issue.

During a media interaction in Odisha's Khordha, Sarma highlighted Maliwal's formal complaint to the Delhi Police, denouncing the alleged wrongdoing against her. He questioned Kejriwal's silence and inaction during the incident, asking, "Why is Arvind Kejriwal silent? Where was he when it was happening? Was he in the same room or not? Why is Kejriwal still roaming with that man (Bibhav Kumar)? Why is he not taking action against him?... Kejriwal has become a criminal now and this has been reconfirmed by Swati Maliwal's tweet today."

Sarma highlighted Maliwal's formal complaint to the Delhi Police, denouncing the alleged wrongdoing against her. He questioned the conspicuous silence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during the incident, urging him to address the matter transparently.

Sarma expressed bewilderment over Kejriwal's continued association with Bibhav Kumar, the individual implicated in the case, and urged for decisive action against him. 

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the altercation between Swati Maliwal and Bibhav Kumar, an aide to Arvind Kejriwal, notable developments have surfaced, shedding light on the dynamics of the incident and its ensuing fallout. Notably, Bibhav Kumar was observed accompanying the Delhi Chief Minister at the Lucknow airport, raising eyebrows amidst the ongoing controversy. This sighting occurred mere days after the reported misbehavior incident involving Bibhav Kumar and Maliwal.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh was also spotted alongside Kejriwal during his visit to Lucknow, where he engaged in a joint press conference with Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav. This public appearance juxtaposed with the silence of Kejriwal on the Swati Maliwal assault case drew sharp criticism, particularly from the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Shehzad Poonawalla, who accused Kejriwal of shielding Bibhav Kumar.

Poonawalla's scathing remarks on social media underscored the perception that Kejriwal's inaction amounted to complicity in the alleged attack on Maliwal. This sentiment was echoed by BJP's Tajinder Bagga, who pointed out the dissonance between Singh's assurances of decisive action against Bibhav Kumar and Kejriwal's apparent disregard for the severity of the situation.

Adding complexity to the unfolding events, Swati Maliwal's accusation against a member of Kejriwal's personal staff was initially met with skepticism by the police, who revealed the absence of a formal complaint from Maliwal. This revelation underscores the procedural hurdles in addressing such incidents and raises questions about the efficacy of the justice system in promptly addressing cases of alleged assault.