The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has called for the resignation of Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal following her controversial remarks about Atishi, who has been named the next Chief Minister of Delhi.
Senior AAP leader Dilip Pandey criticized Swati Maliwal, accusing her of aligning with the BJP’s narrative despite being appointed to the Rajya Sabha by AAP. He stated, “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.”
दिल्ली की सांसद होने के नाते दिल्ली और देश की आवाज़ उठाना मेरी ज़िम्मेदारी है।
मेरी दिल्ली आतंकी अफ़ज़ल प्रेमी हाथ में जाये और मैं चुप बैठ जाऊँ, हरगिज़ नही होगा!
मेरे ख़िलाफ़ जो मर्ज़ी बोलो, आतंकी अफ़ज़ल से रिश्तों पर जवाब देना होगा।
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) September 17, 2024
Rift Between AAP and Maliwal
The call for Maliwal’s resignation comes amid a significant rift between her and the party, which escalated after her allegations of assault against Bibhav Kumar, an aide to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Maliwal’s comments have further strained relations, leading to this public demand for her resignation.
Swati Maliwal made headlines with her remarks regarding Atishi’s appointment as Chief Minister. She criticized the choice of Atishi, who is set to replace Kejriwal as Delhi’s Chief Minister, describing the day as “sad for Delhi.”
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Maliwal alleged that Atishi’s family had attempted to save terrorist Afzal Guru from execution, stating in an online post, “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.”
Swati Maliwal referred to Atishi as a “dummy CM” and accused her parents of being involved in a political conspiracy. She added, “Although Atishi Marlena is just a ‘dummy CM,’ still this issue is related to the security of the country. May God protect Delhi.”
Atishi’s Response and Ongoing Tensions
Atishi, currently serving as Delhi’s Education Minister, has yet to respond publicly to Maliwal’s remarks. The tensions between AAP and Swati Maliwal, who was formerly the Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, have been exacerbated by earlier incidents, including accusations of victim-shaming related to Kumar’s arrest in March. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called for a fair investigation into the allegations, acknowledging the complexity of the situation with conflicting accounts.
