Arvind Kejriwal ducks Swati Maliwal assault question, Akhilesh Yadav says 'there are other more important issues'

Kejriwal gave no reaction when he was asked by a reporter at the joint press conference with other INDIA bloc leaders.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who was sitting right beside Kejriwal, remarked, "There are other more important issues than this to discuss."

Kejriwal was spotted with his PA Bibhav Kumar, who is accused of an assault by AAP MP Swati Maliwal, media reports said.

Kumar has accompanied Kejriwal to Lucknow, where the AAP supremo will campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh, who was also spotted with Kejriwal, on Wednesday admitted Maliwal, a former Delhi Commission for Women chairperson, was misbehaved by Kumar, amid unconfirmed reports of the assault.

Singh called the incident "highly condemnable" and said Kejriwal, who has been on the receiving end of flak from rivals BJP since the news broke, "will take strict action".

"A very distressing incident took place yesterday morning. Arvind Kejriwal had called Swati Maliwal for a meeting. She was waiting in the drawing room to meet him when Bibhav Kumar came in and misbehaved with her. After this, Ms Maliwal called the police and told them what happened," Singh said.

"This is a condemnable incident. Arvind Kejriwal has taken cognisance and has said the strictest possible action should be taken..." Singh told reporters, "Swati Maliwal has done great work for the people and country, and is one of the party's oldest and senior-most leaders. We stand with her and will deal with this issue seriously, as per Mr Kejriwal's order. The AAP does not support such behavior."

Maliwal has not yet commented on the incident.

BJP slams Kejriwal

Slamming Kejriwal and AAP, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla posted on X, "72 hours No FIR on Bibhav Kumar instead Kejriwal is protecting him ! Roaming around with him.. It is clear- attack on Swati Maliwal was done at behest of Kejriwal himself "Sheesh Mahal is Apradh Mahal & just like Draupadi cheerharan - a woman Rajya Sabha MP was subjected to violence , assault.

"Now she is being pressured to keep. Silent or change her story as is evident from statements of Naveen Jaihind & Nitin Tyagi of AAP hence she hasn’t approached the police yet. True face of AAP - Anti women anarchist party."