Swati Maliwal on Saturday said she joined the BJP, not under any compulsion, but because she believes in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, just shortly after the Aam Aadmi Party suffered a massive setback with seven of its Rajya Sabha MPs, including her and Raghav Chadha, quitting and joining the saffron party.
Explaining the host of reasons behind her decision, Maliwal, once a close aide of the AAP chief, said she had been working with Kejriwal and the party since 2006, but he had "me beaten up by a goon in his own house" and was threatened when she raised her voice.
"I have left the AAP 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 he put immense pressure on me to withdraw the FIR I lodged in this incident," he told ANI.
The remarks come just a day after Maliwal and six other AAP MPs -- Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Vikram Singh Sahney, and Rajinder Gupta quit the party, with Chadha stating all of them had merged with the BJP. This marked a conclusion to days of public spat between Chadha and his ex-party, which began after he was removed as AAP's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha earlier this month.
Kejriwal is anti-women: Maliwal
Further ramping up the attack on the former Delhi chief minister, Maliwal said she was not given any opportunity by the party to speak in Parliament for 2 years, calling it deeply shameful, and accused Kejriwal of being "anti-women".
She further alleged that after entering Punjab, the party is remotely controlling the state government and treating it like a personal source of funds. She also claimed that illegal sand mining and drug use have surged in the state, and that FIRs are filed against leaders who speak out against the party, accusing Kejriwal of corruption and strong-arm tactics.
'PM Modi most popular leader in world'
Maliwal praised Narendra Modi as the most popular leader in the world, citing key decisions such as security operations, action against Naxalism, and the introduction of the women’s reservation bill in Parliament. She also highlighted the role of Home Minister Amit Shah in shaping major national policies.
She said her decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party was voluntary and driven by her belief in Modi’s leadership, and appealed to those interested in constructive politics to consider joining the party.
Also read: Sisodia meets Kejriwal as Raghav Chadha, six other MPs' exodus leaves AAP in shambles
