In a recent series of social media exchanges, popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and AAP MP Swati Maliwal found themselves at the center of a controversy following allegations and counter-allegations. Rathee, known for his political commentary and investigative videos, faced backlash after releasing a video about an alleged assault on Maliwal by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide, Bibhav Kumar.Â
Without directly naming Maliwal, Rathee took to Twitter (now X) to refute what he described as "fake allegations" and to criticize those he believes are pretending to be victims. He stated, "Fake allegations against me, daily death threats, dehumanising insults, coordinated campaigns to defame me... I am used to it by now. The irony is that perpetrators are pretending to be victims. Everyone knows who is behind all this. They want to silence me. But that's not going to happen. If you silence 1 Dhruv Rathee, 1000 new ones will rise up."
Maliwal, on her part, alleged that she was receiving rape and death threats in the wake of Rathee's video. She claimed that a campaign to "character assassinate" her was being orchestrated by AAP leaders and that the situation worsened after the release of Rathee's video. Maliwal expressed her frustration on X, stating that her attempts to contact Rathee to present her side of the story were ignored. "It is shameful that people like him, who claim to be independent journalists, could act like other AAP spokespersons and victim-shame me to the extent that I am now facing extreme abuses and threats," she wrote.
The controversy further intensified when Maliwal mentioned the YouTube video during a court hearing on the bail petition of Bibhav Kumar. She argued that the video was one-sided and had led to her receiving death threats. The court, however, denied bail to Kumar, asserting that Maliwal's allegations should not be dismissed lightly and that there was no premeditation in her filing of the FIR.
This public spat highlights the tensions between media personalities and political figures, especially in the charged environment of social media, where allegations can quickly escalate and have significant real-world consequences.
