Swati Maliwal, an AAP MP, has criticized those who doubt her allegations of assault by Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar. She emphasized that victim shaming is a common occurrence for women and expressed her desire for the police to administer a polygraph test to clarify the situation. In an interview with news agency ANI, Maliwal highlighted the unfortunate reality of victim shaming by recounting the questions posed to Nirbhaya and the comments made by a female Delhi minister regarding her clothes. Additionally, AAP leaders have raised doubts about Maliwal’s assault claim, citing a mobile phone video that allegedly shows no torn clothes or head injuries on the day of the incident.
Maliwal asserted that the selectively released short clip showing her using foul language was not the full story. She explained that a longer video, approximately 8 minutes in length, where she was reporting the incident to security was not made public. Maliwal emphasized that being attacked can lead to agitation and pain, which may not be immediately visible. She criticized the victim shaming that occurred and highlighted the importance of listening to survivors of assault. Maliwal, who held the position of chairperson at the Delhi Commission for Women from 2015 to 2024, shared her experience of working with numerous victims of sexual assault over the span of nine years. She mentioned that survivors are often doubted and questioned, rather than being supported. This, she stated, is a common issue faced by many survivors, not just herself.