Swati Maliwal Says BJP Move Was a Matter of Conviction
Former Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Saturday defended her decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying the move was based on her belief in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and not due to any political pressure.
Speaking after resigning from AAP, Maliwal said she had worked closely with Arvind Kejriwal for nearly two decades but was forced to leave after what she described as years of humiliation and intimidation.
“I have left the AAP and joined the BJP. Since 2006, I have been working with Arvind Kejriwal and supported him during every agitation,” Maliwal said, asserting that her shift to the BJP was voluntary and rooted in ideology.
Serious Allegations Against Arvind Kejriwal
She claimed that after she raised objections within the party, she was physically assaulted and later forced to withdraw her complaint.
“Arvind Kejriwal had me beaten up by a goon in his own house. I was threatened when I raised my voice against it, and he put immense pressure on me to withdraw the FIR,” she alleged.
The allegations mark one of the sharpest personal attacks on Kejriwal from a former close aide and are likely to deepen the political crisis within AAP.
Maliwal Says She Was Silenced in Parliament
Further criticising the party leadership, Maliwal alleged that she was denied any opportunity to speak in Parliament for the last two years.
Calling the treatment “deeply shameful”, she accused Kejriwal of being anti-women and suppressing voices within the party.
She also alleged that AAP’s governance in Punjab was being remotely controlled for financial gains and accused the party of allowing corruption to flourish in the state.
Punjab Governance Comes Under Attack
Maliwal said the AAP leadership was treating Punjab as a financial resource while ignoring law and order concerns.
She alleged that illegal sand mining and drug abuse had increased under the party’s rule and claimed that leaders who spoke against the government faced police action.
The accusations add to the growing criticism of AAP’s administration in Punjab, where the party has been under pressure from both opposition parties and former insiders.
Maliwal Praises Modi, Calls Him ‘Most Popular Leader’
Explaining why she chose to join the BJP, Maliwal praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and called him the “most popular leader in the world”.
She credited the Modi government for major decisions on national security, anti-Naxal operations and the passage of the women’s reservation bill, while also acknowledging the role of Home Minister Amit Shah in shaping national policy.
Maliwal said her decision to join the BJP was based on her belief in the party’s leadership and appealed to those interested in “constructive politics” to support the BJP.
AAP Hit by Major Rajya Sabha Exodus
Maliwal’s remarks came a day after seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Vikram Sahney and Rajinder Gupta quit the party and announced their merger with the BJP.
The mass exodus has dealt a severe blow to AAP’s political standing and intensified questions over Kejriwal’s leadership, especially as multiple former allies publicly accuse the party of abandoning its original values.
