"If any atrocity happens to any woman we stand with her" says Priyanka Gandhi

RAE BARELI: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday weighed in on the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal saying that her party stood with women against any attrocity.

Speaking to ANI while on the campaign trail in Raebareli, Priyanka Gandhi said " If any atrocity happens to any woman anywhere, we stand with the woman. I always stand with women - irrespective of which party they belong to. Secondly, AAP will discuss amid themselves and make a decision. It is up to them."

Earlier, All India Mahila Congress President Alka Lamba had said that Swati Maliwal was a strong woman who would come forward and take the legal route on the issue.

"In the case of Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, after the press conference of AAP leader Sanjay Singh ji, it has been confirmed that some unpleasant incident has happened with Swati Maliwal ji in the CM residence, and her party stands strongly with her. Swati Maliwal is a strong and aware woman, I am confident that she will come forward and take the legal route and fight for justice," Alka Lamba said.

On Thursday morning, as Kejriwal entered the venue for his press conference with Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav reporters attempted to question him on the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal. The AAP supremo however refused to answer any questions.

During the press conference when the issue was raised, Akhilesh Yadav brushed aside the question saying "There are other issues that are more important than this."

It was then left to AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh to defend his party. The AAP MP accused the BJP of playing political games on the issue and alleged that the BJP had been behind Swati Maliwal being dragged and manhandled by Delhi police during the wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar.

"Aam Aadmi Party is our family. The party has taken a clear stand on this issue...Can they answer on the case of Swati Maliwal, when she went to fight for justice for women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, they made the police drag and beat her up. Don't play political games on this," Singh said speaking to reporters.

The BJP accused the AAP of failing to act against Bibhav Kumar the PA to Arvind Kejriwal who was allegedly behind the assault on Maliwal. Sharing a picture of Bibhav with Arvind Kejriwal at the Lucknow airport the BJP questioned the AAP for not acting against him despite an assurance from party MP Sanjay Singh.

BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia holding a press conference on Thursday questioned Kejriwal for his silence on the issue and sought his resignation.

"She is certainly the leader of the opposition party but BJP is fighting to ensure that she gets justice. In the police general diary it was mentioned that a call had been received by police and it was made through Swati Maliwal's mobile the caller mentioned that 'I am speaking from CM's residence and he made me thrashed from his PA Bibhav Kumar'. It's not important which party she belongs but she should get justice" he said.

"Arvind Kejriwal should answer and if you are a coward CM and cannot speak even a single word then you should resign because the women of the country are angry and feeling insulted and only Arvind Kejriwal is responsible for this," he added.