Swati Maliwal alleges victim shaming, says ready to undergo polygraph test

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Thursday expressed her readiness to undergo a polygraph test as she alleged victim shaming by the party. In an interview on Thursday, Maliwal recounted the alleged assault at the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence on May 13.

Maliwal hit out at the AAP and Delhi Minister Atishi, alleging victim shaming, while drawing parallels with the alleged victim shaming faced by Nirbhaya.

“I have met Nirbhaya’s mother and she said one thing, which I could never forget in my life. She told me that sometimes I feel like it is good that my daughter is no longer in this world because at least she did not have to go through all the humiliation that exists in this country during the journey towards justice. Nirbhaya was also asked why she chose to go by bus and not take an auto, why she went out at night, why she didn’t go during the day, and who was that boy… So this type of victim shaming happens to every girl and it is not something new”, Maliwal said.

#WATCH | On victim shaming, AAP MP Swati Maliwal says, “…Nirbhaya was also asked why she did not travel in 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 woman Delhi minister said, “Her clothes are not… pic.twitter.com/Iw7aX3Iagb

— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2024

She also questioned the credibility of the video clips leaked by AAP that purportedly showed Maliwal arguing with the security personnel at the CM’s residence on the date of the alleged assault.

“Now they are raising questions that look at the CCTV footage, look how she is walking, she is walking fine. In the edited video also, she is sitting at ease. So I want to know, if you get beaten up, what will be your first reaction? You’re very agitated. Obviously, there is pain but there is agitation which takes you over there is a very high adrenaline also running through your body. According to the Delhi Police, it is being said that the CCTV footage has not reached them till now. So is this CCTV footage fully correct? Or is it doctored?,” the former Delhi Commission for Women chief said.

“And on top of it, I am still walking, limping after four days. So anyone who has been hurt will understand this, when the wound is fresh you can freely walk or run and when the wound gets settled then the pain kicks in. So now whatever they are saying that first she was walking really fast and now look she is limping and all. I feel that there could be no worse victim shaming than this. The sad part is that a lady minister of Delhi has said that look, her clothes are torn, look, there are no wounds on her head. That was all left to do maybe, should have got it also done”, she added.

Maliwal expressed her readiness to undergo a polygraph test and urged the police to conduct the same. She called the alleged victim shaming against her by the party “a huge blow to the entire women’s movement.”

“And on top of it, when did I say in the FIR that my clothes were torn, when did I say in the FIR that my head was wound… I wrote exactly what happened to me, word to word. I did not write anything above or beyond. And if I am wrong then I am ready to undergo polygraph test and I want police to do it. Everything will be clear then. I want the police to conduct a polygraph test on me because how can I live with this realisation that a girl who has always given courage to girls to fight, today you have portrayed me as one that have made false allegations before the whole world. This is a huge blow to the cause of the entire women’s movement. So I am willing to do anything to tell that it is actually the truth”, Maliwal said.

Maliwal lodged a complaint with the Delhi police against Delhi CM’s aide Bibhav Kumar on May 14, a day after the alleged assault took place. A day later, Bibhav Kumar lodged a counter-complaint with the police, accusing Maliwal of gaining ‘unauthorised entry’ into the CM’s Civil Lines residence and ‘verbally abusing’ him.

A case was filed against Bibhav Kumar and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to investigate the case based on Maliwal’s complaint. Bibhav was arrested by the Delhi Police on Sunday, May 19, and is currently in police custody. (ANI)