Swati Maliwal speaks: Won’t resign from party, AAP does not belong to 2-3 people

In an interview to The Indian Express, she said, “If I was not speaking the truth, maybe (relations between her and the party could have been mended)… Despite being beaten up so badly, I tried to compose myself because there was a larger election underway and I knew this issue would be politicised. I understand it. I tried to control myself, but no way… They have harmed the entire women’s movement by victim shaming. I will stay in the party because it does not belong to two or three people. I have given it my sweat and blood too.”

She said that after the alleged incident, and before she submitted a formal complaint three days later, she was told by AAP leaders “a number of times that I will be portrayed as a BJP agent and… no one will stand with you”.

Asked if anyone from the BJP had reached out to her, she said, “No. Only the Lt Governor did but he is on a Constitutional post. He asked me what had happened and asked if I was facing any problems in my dealings with the police.”

Asked if Kejriwal had reached out to her, and whether things could have been handled differently if he had, she said the CM had not called her so far. “They (the situation) would have been different to the extent that at least to my mind, I would have been sure that he was not involved. I would have still filed a (police) complaint. That relationship would have remained intact and I would have liked to know what he thinks. Today I am not giving anyone a clean chit.”

She added that even if he does call and apologise now, “I will not withdraw my complaint”.

Asked why she had gone to meet the CM that day, Maliwal, who the party chose as its Rajya Sabha MP in January, said, “All the leaders were going and meeting him and I went to greet him and extend support because I have been working with him since 2006. The idea was to talk about the trauma he faced in jail and also talk about what more I can do to support the party at this stage. It was not like only I was doing it. In fact, it would be very questionable if I didn’t do it. I also went outside Tihar jail when he was released but there were so many people there that there was no chance to have an interaction with him.”

She also addressed speculation that her trip to the US in March had soured relations with the party since the CM was arrested when she was away. “Before leaving, I had a discussion with our party supremo… There was a go ahead… I never felt that he was not okay with me going… It could be that he felt this way and he did not communicate it to me,” she said.

“One theory is that they did this because they wanted my Rajya Sabha seat back. You could have asked me nicely. If you wanted it back, for whatever reason, just ask for it,” she said.

Asked if she knew the reason behind the alleged assault, she said she has a few “theories” but would only talk to the police on this aspect. “Something this brazen cannot happen until other people have planned it or something has been festering against someone,” she said.

She also said that while she has known Kumar “casually”, they “never really worked together”. “He was always working as Manish Sisodia’s PA, I always worked with Arvind Kejriwal,” she said, claiming that within the party, it was known that if you angered Kumar, you would “lose access” to the CM.

Asked how she knew the CM was at home at the time, she said his security would not have escorted her inside had he not been there.

“It has happened in his house, I can’t give Arvind ji a clean chit… I was screaming and shouting and he could not hear? When the police came, would you not come out and ask why a woman MP was being escorted out of your house? The way my character has been assassinated and how I have been victim shamed, that is so below the belt and it cannot happen without directions from the top. It is an orchestrated campaign… The accused was roaming around with him (Kejriwal)… he protested in favour of the accused on the streets of Delhi,” she said.