In a letter to CM Kejriwal, Maliwal claimed that the government has destroyed the system she built since 2015 and said that the seat DCW chief was lying vacant since she was nominated to Rajya Sabha by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
“I am writing this letter to bring attention to how the Delhi Government has been systematically dismantling the DCW since my resignation from the position of chairperson in January 2024. It is deeply regrettable that the systems that I painstakingly built since 2015, are being destroyed by the Government,” Maliwal said.
“As the Chief Minister of a city infamous as the ‘Rape Capital of the World’, it is crucial to safeguard systems that protect women and girls,” she added.
Maliwal criticized the closure of the 181 women helpline as “appalling,” emphasizing that survivors of rape and other crimes have been left without crucial assistance for the past 48 hours.
This comes a day after Delhi Women and Child Development minister Kailash Gahlot’s announced that 181 helpline would now be managed by his department instead of the DCW. Gahlot explained that the number would be temporarily shut down for transition purposes.
In her letter, Maliwal stated that the decision to transfer the helpline was made with the approval of the concerned minister, purportedly in accordance with a directive from the Central government requiring state WCD departments to oversee the 181 Women Helpline.
“The DCW operates under the WCD Department, so there was no necessity to transfer the helpline from the commission,” Maliwal wrote.
She also alleged that funding to the commission had been halted, severely affecting its operations.
“The deprivation of funds over the past six months has severely handicapped the commission… the dedicated women staff members of the commission, many of whom are survivors of acid attacks and sexual assault, have not received their rightful salaries since November 2023,” Maliwal further stated.
Recently, Maliwal accused Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar of assault, noting that the commission’s budget was unexpectedly reduced by Rs 10 crore, representing a 28.5 percent cut.