‘Beaten up, threatened…’: After joining BJP, Swati Maliwal recalls 2024 assault at Kejriwal’s house | India News
New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Saturday recalled the alleged assault on her two years ago as she spoke publicly about the issue after joining. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Maliwal claimed that he was ‘intimidated and threatened’ when he tried to file an FIR against the incident. Speaking to reporters, Maliwal said, “I quit Aam Aadmi Party And joined the BJP. Since 2006, I have been working with Arvind Kejriwal And supported him during every movement. However, Arvind Kejriwal beat me up in my own house by a goon. I was threatened if I spoke out against it, and a lot of pressure was put on me to withdraw the FIR. I have not been given a single minute to speak in Parliament for two years.”His comments came days after more than two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha MPs quit the party to join the BJP, with Raghav Chadha leading the split.Giving details of the incident, Maliwal alleged that she was assaulted by Kejriwal’s close aide at the Chief Minister’s residence in 2024 and faced constant pressure to withdraw her complaint.“I left my home, lived in ‘Ghugi’ for seven years, quit my job and supported every movement. But when I tried to lodge an FIR after being assaulted, I was threatened and intimidated. For the last two years, I was constantly pressured to withdraw the case, but I did not bow down.”He also added that he was shunned from the party due to his resistance.“Because of this, the party has not given me even a minute in the last two years to present my views in Parliament. It is very shameful. I believe Arvind Kejriwal is extremely anti-women.”
Attack on AAP leadership, Punjab governance
Maliwal launched a scathing attack on Kejriwal and the AAP leadership, accusing them of abandoning founding principles.“They keep accusing us of treachery. But what is treachery? Treachery is when you fail to stand by your core principles. When we started, he talked about ideas that inspired the country. But what has changed? Only his lifestyle and status have changed,” he said.Targeting the party’s performance in Punjab, he alleged, “AAP is looting Punjab. They don’t see any Punjabis worthy of top posts. The goon who assaulted me was given Z+ security and Bhagwant Mann was made chief adviser.”He also claimed that the state government was being controlled remotely.“Today, Punjab has become a private ATM. Illegal sand mining and drug use are rampant, and all this is happening under government patronage.”
BJP praises PM Modi’s leadership
Explaining his decision to switch sides, Maliwal said it was driven by conviction rather than compulsion.“I am not joining BJP out of any compulsion. If it was, I would have joined two years ago. I am joining after deep thought as I am deeply impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s work and want to work under his leadership,” he said.He added, “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 do constructive politics to join the BJP.”
Background: 2024 Assault case
The controversy dates back to May 2024, when Maliwal alleged that Kejriwal’s close aide Vivah Kumar assaulted her at the chief minister’s residence in Delhi.According to her complaint, she was slapped and kicked multiple times asking her to call the PCR. A formal FIR was later registered by the Delhi Police under sections related to assault, criminal intimidation and outrageous indecency. Kumar was arrested and later granted bail, while Maliwal filed a counter-complaint alleging unauthorized entry and misconduct.The case sparked a major political storm, with the AAP alleging that the police were acting under political pressure, while the BJP accused the party of protecting those involved.
