NEW DELHI: A media interaction by a woman AAP volunteer during which she is allegedly tutored to say things against party leader Kumar Vishwas gave a new twist to the controversy involving him.
The woman, whose face was partly covered, was seen prompted by a man identified as Jagat Awana, said to be a former Congressman and now a journalist, at the interaction. "Tell them (media) you are not from BJP or any other party. And that they may kill you," the man is heard saying. AAP latched on to the development to claim vindication of its charge of conspiracy against it to malign the party and its leader.
The woman had earlier in the day accused Vishwas of not rebutting "rumours" about an illicit liaison with her and ruining her reputation, giving a handle to Congress and BJP to attack the party. AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha said the "video vindicates our stand". AAP MLA Alka Lamba tweeted employing a hindi proverb to say that "everything was fishy" which was retweeted to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. When contacted, Awana claimed innocence and said he was merely trying to help the woman. He asked whether it was a crime to help a woman in distress.
"Sanjay Singh told the media that the woman was a BJP agent; so, when she was interacting with the media, I told her to clear her stand that she was not a member of any political party," Awana said. He also claimed that the woman got in touch with him nearly a month back requesting his help to secure justice. "I wanted to help her legally and through other means. I asked her to talk to Kumar Vishwas and, later, to file a complaint with the women's commission," he said, adding that although he may have been a Congress member 14 years ago, he has at present nothing to do with the party.