NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Saturday recalled the alleged assault on her two years ago as she spoke publicly on the issue after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Maliwal claimed that she was ‘intimidated and threatened’ when she tried to file an FIR against the incident. Speaking to reporters, Maliwal said, “I have left the Aam Aadmi Party and joined the BJP. Since 2006, I have been working with Arvind Kejriwal and supported him during every agitation. However, Arvind Kejriwal had me beaten up by a goon in my own house. I was threatened when I raised my voice against it, and immense pressure was put on me to withdraw the FIR. For two years, I was not even given a minute to speak in Parliament.”Her remarks come days after more than two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha MPs resigned from the party and joined the BJP, with Raghav Chadha leading the split.Providing details of the incident, Maliwal alleged that she was assaulted by a close aide of Kejriwal at the chief minister’s residence in 2024 and faced sustained pressure to withdraw her complaint.“I left my home, lived in ‘jhugis’ for seven years, quit my job and supported every movement. But when I tried to file an FIR after being assaulted, I was threatened and intimidated. For the past two years, I have been under constant pressure to take the case back, but I did not bow down,” she said.She further added that her resistance led to her being sidelined within the party.“Because of this, I was not given even a minute by the party in the last two years to present my views in Parliament. This is very shameful. I believe Arvind Kejriwal is extremely anti-women.”
Attack on AAP leadership, Punjab governance
Maliwal launched a sharp attack on Kejriwal and the AAP leadership, accusing them of abandoning their founding principles.“They keep accusing us of betrayal. But what is betrayal? Betrayal is when you fail to stand by your core principles. When we started, he spoke ideas that inspired the country. But what change has happened? Only his lifestyle and status have changed,” she said.Targeting the party’s functioning in Punjab, she alleged, “AAP is looting Punjab. They don’t see any capable Punjabi for top positions. The goon who assaulted me was given Z+ security and made Chief Advisor to Bhagwant Mann.”She also claimed that the state government was being controlled remotely.“Today, Punjab has been turned into a personal ATM. Illegal sand mining and drug use are rampant, and all this is happening with government patronage.”
Praise for BJP, PM Modi’s leadership
Explaining her decision to switch sides, Maliwal said it was not driven by compulsion but conviction.“I am not joining the BJP out of any compulsion. If that were the case, I would have joined two years ago. I am joining after careful thought because I am deeply influenced by the work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and want to work under his leadership,” she said.She added, “Today, he is not only the most popular leader in the country but also one of the most respected globally. I appeal to those who want to do constructive politics to join the BJP.”
Background: The 2024 assault case
The controversy dates back to May 2024, when Maliwal alleged that she was assaulted by Bibhav Kumar, a close aide to Kejriwal, at the chief minister’s residence in Delhi.According to her complaint, she was slapped multiple times and kicked, prompting her to make a PCR call. A formal FIR was later registered by Delhi Police under sections related to assault, criminal intimidation and outraging modesty. Kumar was arrested and later granted bail, while also filing a counter-complaint accusing Maliwal of unauthorised entry and misconduct.The case triggered a major political storm, with the AAP alleging that the police was acting under political pressure, while the BJP accused the party of shielding those involved.
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