Swati Maliwal alleges rape and death threats, points finger at YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and AAP

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal has come forward with allegations of receiving rape and death threats, blaming a purported 'character assassination' campaign orchestrated by AAP leaders and volunteers. Maliwal further accused YouTuber Dhruv Rathee of exacerbating the hate campaign by disseminating what she described as a 'one-sided' video against her.

Formerly at the helm of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), Maliwal has leveled serious accusations against the party leadership, claiming they are attempting to coerce her into retracting her complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide, Bibhav Kumar. Expressing disappointment with Rathee, Maliwal claimed that her attempts to present her side of the story to him were ignored, lamenting that despite his self-professed status as an independent journalist, he appeared to align with AAP spokespersons and engage in victim shaming.

Maliwal highlighted key facts purportedly omitted by Rathee in his video, including the party's reversal of its initial stance on the incident and the medicolegal report detailing injuries sustained due to the assault. Additionally, she questioned why selective portions of the video were released and raised concerns about potential evidence tampering.

After the leaders and volunteers of my party i.e. AAP orchestrated a campaign of charachter assassination, victim shaming and fanning of emotions against me, I have been getting rape and death threats.

This got further exacerbated when YouTuber @Dhruv_Rathee posted a one-sided… pic.twitter.com/EfCHHWW0xu

— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) May 26, 2024

Taking a stand against the threats, Maliwal announced her intention to report the matter to the Delhi Police and urged for stringent action against the perpetrators. She condemned the attempts to vilify and shame her.