Swati Maliwal wants police to conduct polygraph test on her, talks of victim shaming

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AAP Member of Parliament Swati Maliwal has vehemently defended her assault claims against Arvind Kejriwal’s aide, Bibhav Kumar, while condemning the widespread victim-shaming she has faced.

In a recent interview with a news agency, Swati Maliwal highlighted the recurring issue of victim-blaming in cases involving women, drawing parallels to the questions raised during the Nirbhaya case.

“Nirbhaya was also asked why she did not travel in an auto, why did she go out in the night and not in the day?…Victim-shaming happens with every woman… The sad part is that a woman Delhi minister said, ‘Her clothes are not torn’. I want police to conduct my polygraph test so that everything becomes clear,” she stated.

The allegations by Swati Maliwal have been met with skepticism from some AAP leaders. AAP minister Atishi referred to a mobile phone video showing Swati Maliwal at Arvind Kejriwal’s residence on the day of the alleged assault, noting that Maliwal’s clothes were intact and she appeared uninjured.

In response, Swati Maliwal claimed that the short clip was “selectively released” and did not portray the entire incident. “Leaked video was made after I was thrashed. Another video of around 8-minute long where I was telling the security about how I was thrashed was not released,” she said.

Also Read: Watch: New CCTV footage from Arvind Kejriwal’s home shows Swati Maliwal being escorted out

Swati Maliwal explained the seeming discrepancy in her appearance and behaviour in the video, asserting that agitation and adrenaline can mask immediate signs of trauma.

“When you are thrashed, you are agitated. There is pain, but you are agitated and that takes over you. Even if you are shot at, you run to save yourself. So it’s wrong to say how I was walking after the incident. Anybody who has been attacked knows that people can move when the wound is fresh. You realise the pain after a few days. What could be worse victim shaming than this?” she remarked.

Having served as the chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women from 2015 to 2024, Swati Maliwal drew from her extensive experience working with victims of sexual assault to underscore the challenges faced by survivors. “In my career of nine years, I met many survivors. I led many such operations, including rescuing women from the clutches of trafficking. The one thing common is that nobody listens to the survivors but everybody questions the survivors. This is not just happening with me,” she asserted.

Swati Maliwal also accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of shielding his aide. She claimed that Arvind Kejriwal was present at his residence during the alleged assault by Kumar.

“It is a fact that despite all this happening till date, I have not received any call from Arvind ji nor has he met me till now. Arvind ji is protecting the accused… Instructions have been given to every person in the entire party to assassinate my character,” Swati Maliwal said in her interview.

The controversy continues to unfold as Swati Maliwal stands firm in her call for a polygraph test to verify her allegations and seeks justice amidst a backdrop of political and social turbulence.