'Confident' Maliwal says 'not a victim in war between AAP, Centre'

Extremely upset with the ongoing controversy over her appointment as the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief, Swati Maliwal, on Thursday rubbished speculations that she was a victim of the rift between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government Iin Delhi and the Centre.

"I am not a victim in this war between AAP Government and the Centre, nor will I ever be. I am a confident person and not helpless. If given a chance, I will make DCW one of the strongest women commission bodies in India and in the world," she said.

Maliwal alleged that though she has a notification from the government about her appointment, she doesn't know if she is still the DCW chief.

Maliwal, who is the wife of AAP leader Naveen Jaihind, told ANI that her nameplate has been removed from the DCW office.

"All the files have been taken away from the members of the commission and me, even my nameplate has been removed from the DCW office and we have been asked not to work here. This is a shameful act, especially in a place like Delhi, where the crime rates are very high," said Maliwal.

"We started handling so many rape cases within three days, if our cases are taken away and if DCW is in a way locked, how will we work?" she asked.

Maliwal further said that she had sought an appointment with Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung to discuss the murder of a teenage girl Meenakshi in the national capital's Anand Parbat area.

"I have been seeking to meet LG since a very long time for Meenakshi's case, more than this appointment issue but have not been given any time," she said.

The Lieutenant Governor, who has been locked in a tussle with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the appointment and transfer of senior bureaucrats, declared Maliwal's appointment as "ultra vires" of the rules.

The AAP has rejected allegations of nepotism made by the BJP and the Congress over Maliwal's appointment. Silencing all critics, the AAP Government said that it picked the person who is best suited for the job.