The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has called for the resignation of Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal following her controversial comments about Atishi Marlena, who is set to succeed Arvind Kejriwal as Delhi’s Chief Minister. The party’s demand for Maliwal’s resignation highlights a deepening rift between her and the AAP, which nominated her to the Rajya Sabha.
Senior AAP leader Dilip Pandey condemned Maliwal’s remarks, accusing her of aligning with the BJP despite being elected on an AAP ticket. “Swati Maliwal takes Rajya Sabha ticket from the AAP but takes the script to react from BJP. If she has even a little shame, she should resign as a Rajya Sabha MP and choose the path to Rajya Sabha on a BJP ticket,” Pandey stated.
The call for Maliwal’s resignation follows her harsh criticism of Atishi, who was announced as Delhi’s new Chief Minister following Kejriwal’s resignation. Atishi’s appointment was made as Kejriwal vowed to step down until the people re-elect his party in upcoming elections.
In a social media post, Maliwal described the appointment of Atishi as a “sad day for Delhi,” alleging that Atishi’s family had previously sought clemency for the convicted terrorist Afzal Guru. “Today is a very sad day for Delhi. Today, a woman whose family fought a long battle to save terrorist Afzal Guru from being hanged is being made the Chief Minister of Delhi. His parents wrote mercy petitions to the Honorable President to save terrorist Afzal Guru,” Maliwal wrote.
She further criticized Atishi, calling her a “dummy CM” and suggested that her family was involved in a political conspiracy. “According to them, Afzal Guru was innocent and was framed as part of a political conspiracy. Although Atishi Marlena is just a ‘dummy CM,’ still this issue is related to the security of the country. May God protect Delhi,” Maliwal added.
The AAP’s reaction underscores the party’s growing frustration with Maliwal’s comments and the perceived betrayal by a member they had supported. The demand for her resignation signals a significant strain in her relationship with the party, which now faces the challenge of navigating this internal conflict amid a pivotal leadership transition in Delhi.
