The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is mired in yet another controversy with its leader Kumar Vishwas on Monday being accused and slammed by an AAP volunteer for not dispelling “malicious rumours” about him having an illicit relationship with her. Following the woman’s complaint, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has summoned Vishwas and his wife on Tuesday. The poet-turned-politician, on the other hand, not only dismissed the controversy but also accused the media of playing into the hands of the BJP and of being “extortionist.”
The woman volunteer alleged that Vishwas repeatedly ignored her requests to clarify in public that they were never involved in an illicit relationship while campaigning for the 2014 General Election in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi constituency from where Vishwas was defeated by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Speaking to The Pioneer, DCW chairperson Barkha Shukla Singh said: “I have sent a notice summoning Kumar Vishwas at DCW on Tuesday as the volunteer has written a letter to the Delhi Police Commissioner on this matter.”
The woman has also written a letter complaining about the matter to AAP Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. She also accused Kejriwal of not taking any action on the issue. Singh further said: “This volunteer has been coming to us for quite some time now. Her marriage is falling apart because of him.” Vishwas, a member of AAP’s Political Affairs Committee, and the party, however, said the allegations were false and baseless and it was part of a defamation campaign against the AAP by rival parties. “We will not be affected or frightened by such attempts to malign us with lies. We will fight till our last breath against political corruption,” said Vishwas.
An agitated Vishwas added: “She registered a complaint 15 days ago, but police have not taken any action yet. She had sent me a mail saying Kumar bhaiya (brother), what should I do nowIJ Thereafter, the AAP’s legal cell asked her to register an FIR in this regard.” The Delhi Police on Monday said it has already registered an FIR and a probe was underway into the woman volunteer’s complaint.
According to the police, an FIR in this regard was registered on April 29 under Section 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) of IPC and Section 67A of the IT Act at Nand Nagri Police Station in North-East Delhi and they are investigating the case. No arrest has been made in the case so far. “The victim, in her complaint, has said that some people have spread rumours that she has an illicit relationship with Vishwas on the social media and one of them even uploaded her photo on the internet,” said a police official, quoting the victim’s complaint.
Meanwhile, taking a dig at the fledgling party, the BJP and the Congress demanded that Kejriwal come forward and give a clarification on the issue. “If he is not clarifying that means there is something suspicious, we are with that woman and will support her,” said Vijender Gupta, senior BJP leader and MlA from Rohini. This is not the first time the AAP leader has been caught in a controversy. In the past Vishwas courted controversy over his alleged derogatory remarks against women, especially the one against BJP MP Kirron Kher during the 2014 General Elections.