Maliwal attends Rekha Gupta's oath-taking, says Kejriwal must be investigated
What's the story
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal attended Bharatiya Janata Party's Rekha Gupta's swearing-in ceremony as the new Chief Minister of Delhi on Thursday. The ceremony was held at Ramlila Maidan and was attended by many high-profile political leaders. In a video shared by news agency PTI, Maliwal was seen on stage with a banner of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the background. She was seen chatting with Devender Yadav, the Congress's Delhi unit chief.
Press
'Kejriwal betrayed the movement he started'
Following the event, she extended her wishes to Gupta, saying the people of Delhi have made her the CM with great hope. Regarding the corruption charges against AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and AAP leaders in the liquor policy case, she said an investigation should be done. "How shameful it is that Kejriwal betrayed the movement he started—he became the CM with his fight against corruption and had started such a massive movement," she told reporters.
Twitter Post
Maliwal speaks to reporters
VIDEO | On Rekha Gupta becoming CM and investigation over corruption charges against Arvind Kejriwal and AAP leaders, Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) says, "I extend my congratulations to Rekha Gupta. The people of Delhi have made her the CM with a lot of hope. As… pic.twitter.com/8zL3v2pTyK
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 20, 2025
Political rift
Maliwal's growing criticism of Kejriwal and AAP
Once a close aide of former CM Arvind Kejriwal, Maliwal has recently become one of his most vocal critics. The rift between them started in May 2024 when she accused Bibhav Kumar, Kejriwal's aide, of assaulting her during a meeting at the CM's residence. She alleged Kejriwal was present during the incident. The tension further escalated during the Haryana election in October 2024 when Maliwal accused Kejriwal of betraying the Congress-led INDIA bloc by contesting solo.
Public dissent
Maliwal's protest and criticism following AAP's defeat
Ahead of the recent Delhi election, Maliwal had protested outside Kejriwal's residence over his failure to clean the Yamuna River. Maliwal was also detained by the police after she dumped garbage outside Kejriwal's residence. "I came here to have a conversation with Arvind Kejriwal...I would say to him 'sudhar jao warna janata sudhaar degi'...I am neither afraid of his goons nor his police," she said during the protest.
Party loyalty
Maliwal's commitment to AAP amidst speculation
Despite speculation over her future with AAP, Maliwal said she has no intentions of resigning from her Rajya Sabha seat. She reiterated her loyalty to the party, telling NDTV, "I'm an AAP MP and will continue... people say that because I raise questions I should resign. But my question is, why? I have not done anything wrong."