New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Saturday recalled the allegations leveled against her two years ago while speaking out about the issue after joining Parliament. bjp (BJP). Maliwal alleged that she was “intimidated and threatened” when she tried to file an FIR over the incident. Maliwal told reporters: “I have left am admi party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Since 2006 I have been working with Arvind Kejriwal And support him in every moment of his excitement. However, Arvind Kejriwal had me beaten up by a goon in my own home. When I raised my voice against it, I received threats and tremendous pressure forced me to withdraw the FIR. For two years I was not even given a minute to speak in Parliament. “A few days ago, more than two-thirds of AAP Lok Sabha MPs quit the party and joined the BJP, with Raghav Chadha in the lead.Giving details of the incident, Maliwal claimed she was assaulted by a close aide of Kejriwal at the chief minister’s residence in 2024 and faced continued pressure to withdraw the complaint.“I left home and lived in ‘jhugis’ for seven years, quit my job and supported every move. But when I tried to file an FIR after being attacked, I was threatened and intimidated. I have been under pressure to withdraw the case for the past two years but I did not give in,” she said.She further added that her resistance led to her marginalization within the party.“So for the past two years, the party has not given me a minute to express my views in Parliament. This is very shameful. I think Arvind Kejriwal is extremely anti-women.”
Attack on AAP leadership and governance of Punjab
Maliwal launched a sharp attack on Kejriwal and the AAP leadership, accusing them of abandoning the founding principles of the nation.“They keep accusing us of betrayal. But what is betrayal? Betrayal is when you fail to stand up for your core principles.” When we started, he talked about the idea of inspiring the entire country. But what has changed? It’s just that his lifestyle and status changed,” she said.Targeting the party’s functioning in Punjab, she claimed, “AAP is looting Punjab. They don’t see any competent Punjabi in the top post. The goons who attacked me were given Z+ security and became Bhagwant Mann’s chief advisor.”She also claimed the state government was being controlled remotely.“Today, Punjab has become a personal ATM. Illegal sand mining and drug abuse are rampant, and all this is happening with the support of the government.”
Commends the leadership of the BJP and PM Modi
Explaining her decision to change her stance, Maliwal said it was not out of compulsion but out of conviction.“I did not join the BJP out of any compulsion. If that had been the case, I would have joined two years ago. I joined after much deliberation as I was deeply influenced by the work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and wanted to work under his leadership,” she said.“Today, he is not only the most popular leader in the country but also one of the most respected leaders globally. I appeal to those who want to engage in constructive politics to join the BJP,” she added.
Background: 2024 Assault
The controversy dates back to May 2024, when Maliwal claimed that she was attacked by Kejriwal’s close aide Bibhav Kumar at the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence.According to her complaint, she was slapped and kicked multiple times, prompting her to call PCR. Later, the Delhi Police registered a formal FIR under sections related to assault, criminal intimidation and outrageous modesty. Kumar was arrested and later released on bail, while a counter-complaint was filed accusing Maliwal of unauthorized entry and misconduct.The case triggered a major political storm, with the Australian AP accusing the police of acting under political pressure and the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing the party of shielding those involved.
