BJP calls AAP 'anti-women party'

The BJP has accused AAP of resorting to victim-shaming and victim-blaming in its brazen defence of Bibhav Kumar.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that Kejriwal is making efforts to protect Kumar as his aide is in a position to expose the chief minister’s damaging “secrets”.

Poonawalla told reporters that AAP is essentially an “anti-women party” as he cited past allegations of mistreatment of women involving its leaders.

With AAP claiming that Maliwal is acting at the BJP’s behest, Poonawalla cited another AAP leader and Delhi Commission for Women member Vandana Singh’s support to the Rajya Sabha MP to hit out at the party.

He noted Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s criticism of AAP over the issue to ask if the Lok Sabha MP has also become a BJP agent, an allegation levelled against Maliwal by her party.

“AAP’s corruption and misconduct are followed by disinformation. It has become the party’s standard operating procedure,” he said, comparing the Maliwal case with Draupadi’s disrobing episode in the Mahabharata.

AAP is now busy in Maliwal’s character assassination, too, he added.

Kumar is merely a puppet; it is Kejriwal who holds the strings, Poonawalla alleged and attacked Opposition leaders such as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Chaturvedi for not speaking up on the issue.

Noting that Kumar lodged a police complaint against Maliwal, who has accused him of assaulting her, four days after the incident occurred at the chief minister’s residence, the BJP leader said he is clearly acting at Kejriwal’s behest.

Poonawalla also cited Maliwal’s medical report, which has reportedly confirmed bruises on her, to hit out at AAP.