In Lucknow, with charges of assault on Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal hanging on the 'CM House', Kejriwal was set upon by the Lucknow press and these guys weren’t the maleable Delhi press. But for Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal would have been fed to the wolves. Thankfully, the SP leader picked up the ‘mic’ and Arvind Kejriwal escaped lynching by a whisker and a hair.

The question is, why is Arvind Kejriwal behaving like a lump, committing mistakes a kid wouldn’t on his first day in Kindergarten? Why did Arvind take assault and molestation accused Bibhav Kumar with him to Lucknow with AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh tagging along? Two, why did he lose his voice when confronted by the Lucknow media? Three, why did he have to reach out to, of all the persons, Akhilesh Yadav for a quick-fix?

The Samajwadi Party is the last ‘go to’ entity in matters concerning atrocities on women. The Swati Maliwal assault and molestation case was already exploding and Kejriwal was an under-trial in a case still nagging him. But for the ongoing elections, the AAP convenor wouldn’t have gotten relief, the 21-day interim bail. And then, comes this Swati-Bibhav trouble. Now, because of somebody’s rank stupidity, Bibhav is found “hiding” in the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence and Kejriwal could be an accessory after the fact.

Who will forgive such stupidity? No wonder, the BJP is going to town with “Vinashekale viprit buddhi”. The Delhi Police was hunting for Bibhav Kumar ever since Swati Maliwal lodged a case of assault and molestation against him and the man’s “location” was showing "Punjab" where Kejriwal had gone campaigning for AAP. Bibhav’s arrest from the Delhi Chief Minister’s house is straight out of a crime novel.

The National Commission for Women is calling for charging Kejriwal with harbouring a “fugitive from justice”. This after Atishi Marlena was doing everything at AAP’s command to paint Swati Maliwal into a ‘Jezebel’ kind of figure, worse than the original in the Bible. Atishi on May 18 alleged that Swati was “facing arrest in an illegal recruitment case and she was blackmailed by the BJP into joining a conspiracy" hatched against Arvind Kejriwal.

Considering the current environment surrounding Arvind Kejriwal and amid the Opposition INDI-Alliance’s allegations that the Modi government had been using “central investigating agencies” to coerce opposition leaders to defect and join the Bharatiya Janata Party, Atishi Marlena’s charge against Maliwal and the BJP isn’t farfetched. In fact, Marlena has succeeded in getting on Swati Maliwal’s nerves.

Atishi is a cabinet minister in the Delhi government. She is also close to Sunitha Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister’s wife, who had risen to relevance when Arvind Kejriwal was in ED custody and later in Tihar. Could it be that the troubles Kejriwal is facing with Swati Maliwal could be linked to a “power struggle” in the AAP following his arrest with Swati against Sunitha and Atishi choosing to ally with Sunitha?

Atishi Marlena’s allegations against Maliwal, however, lost considerable sting after Bibhav Kumar’s arrest from Kejriwal’s “Sheeshmahal” and not just Arvind Kejriwal, Sunitha Kejriwal will also feel the heat. Bibhav, it appears, didn’t accompany Kejriwal to Punjab. Instead, he returned to Delhi and slunk into the ‘CM House’ with his mobile number taking a detour to Punjab to show “location”.

Bibhav has lodged a "counter complaint" against Maliwal but whether it will result in an FIR is hard to expect. The Delhi Police investigation will reveal details and AAP/Kejriwal’s legal expenses will skyrocket. The Chief Minister's official residence is no place for a crime accused to be found. In fact, the Delhi CM House has been in controversy from the word go. Built with a Rs 45 crore budget it’s a dream house. The “Sheeshmahal scandal” broke the ceiling. Breaking the story landed a journalist in jail.

And now an assault on a lady Member of Parliament in its Drawing Room with a huge portrait of BR Ambedkar on a wall. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s “Sheeshmahal” is jinxed. Maybe it is built on land that has a shady history. Could be, the ‘Vaastu rules’ were given the go-by? Could be the stars were behaving in a crazy manner when Chief Minister Kejriwal and Sunitha Kejriwal moved into their brand new digs. Maybe Kejriwal is being punished for "his lies".

There could be a 100 reasons and not one of them correct but people are talking and, remember, Arvind Kejriwal went to Tihar from “Sheeshmahal.” Perhaps without an appointment. Atishi Marlena says Swati Maliwal also went to the CM House, "without an appointment." Marlena is supporting her claim with video proof. The thing is, where is Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal? But for the INDI-Alliance, Arvind would have been up the dry Yamuna riverbed without a paddle.

Arvind was seen smiling at the INDI-Alliance rally in Mumbai, sitting next to Sharad Pawar. The INDI-Alliance is a bulwark for both Kejriwal and AAP. Sharad Pawar’s suggestion that regional parties should join hands with the Congress makes sense. AAP leaders like Atishi Marlena understand AAP faces more than a CM House jinx. Atishi’s charge that Maliwal was the “face of the BJP conspiracy” against Kejriwal will not win AAP Delhi Lok Sabha seats. Nor reprieve for Arvind Kejriwal. The CM House is at the heart of the matter. (IPA Service)