Day after leaving AAP, Swati Maliwal slams Kejriwal, says party has 'strayed far' from its principles

A major political shake-up hit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal launched a sharp attack on her former party on Saturday, claiming it had  "strayed far" from its founding principals and that its chief Arvind Kejriwal had fundamentally changed.

Her remarks came a day after her dramatic exodus from AAP, with seven Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Ashok Mittal, Rajinder Gupta and Vikram Sahney, quitting the party in one of its biggest setbacks since losing power in Delhi to the BJP last year.

After switching sides to the BJP, Maliwal openly praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling his leadership “decisive and strong”.

Maliwal recounted her journey with AAP and alleged mistreatment within the party. “I left my home, lived in slums for seven years, quit my job and supported every movement. But when I tried to file an FIR after being assaulted, I was beaten up at Kejriwal's residence by his aide,” she said, according to PTI report.

She further claimed she faced sustained pressure to withdraw her complaint. “For two years, I was put under pressure to take my case back, but I did not bow down. Because of this, I was not given even a minute to speak in Parliament by the party,” Maliwal alleged.

Taking a broader swipe at AAP’s functioning, she said the party now stood for “lies, corruption and hooliganism.” According to her, the departures signal deeper unrest within the organisation.

“The real betrayal is not leaving the party, but not standing by your own principles. People are not leaving out of fear; they are leaving because of Arvind Kejriwal,” she said, adding that more leaders could exit soon.

Maliwal also accused Kejriwal of abandoning his earlier image of simplicity. “There was a time when he carried a Rs 2 pen and wore simple clothes. Today, only his status has changed,” she said, alleging that he built multiple “sheeshmahals”.

She extended her criticism to AAP’s governance in Punjab, claiming the state administration was being controlled remotely. “The Punjab government has become a personal ATM. Illegal sand mining and drug use are happening openly, and corruption is at its peak,” she alleged, adding that public dissatisfaction in the state was growing.

Maliwal also stated that her joining the BJP was a conscious decision. “Under his (PM Modi) leadership, India is progressing rapidly and has emerged strong globally due to his diplomacy,” she said.

She dismissed allegations that defectors were acting under pressure from investigative agencies, and said, “I am not someone who can be scared. I have joined wholeheartedly. If I wanted, I could have joined two years ago.

Meanwhile, AAP moved to counter the rebellion. Senior leader Sanjay Singh said the party would approach the Rajya Sabha Chairman seeking disqualification of the defecting MPs under anti-defection provisions.

“Anti-defection law clearly states that any type of split or faction cannot happen in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. It does not carry any legal recognition, even if it's a two-thirds majority,” Singh said.

He also reiterated the party’s charge that the defections were orchestrated by the BJP under its alleged ‘Operation Lotus’, warning that voters in Punjab would hold the leaders accountable.

Maliwal, who entered the Rajya Sabha in 2024 on an AAP ticket, earlier served as chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women.