Swati Maliwal Accuses Arvind Kejriwal of Betrayal and Corruption

Former aide to Arvind Kejriwal and now a BJP leader, Swati Maliwal on Saturday levelled sharp allegations against her former boss, claiming that before becoming chief minister he wore "torn pants", used a "two-rupee pen" and "drove around in a dilapidated car", but after coming to power in Delhi, "he built a house worth a hundred crores."

Speaking to news agency ANI, Maliwal contrasted what she described as two very different phases of Kejriwal's life. Her remarks came a day after the Raghav Chadha-led rebellion against the party leadership and the merging of a 2/3rd chunk of AAP power in the Upper House to the BJP.

Maliwal was among those who joined the breakaway faction. Maliwal, in an unrestrained attack, said, "If anyone is a traitor, it's Arvind Kejriwal. When he started his movement, he wore torn pants, used a two-rupee pen, and drove around in a completely dilapidated car. We were all inspired, thinking that this man would bring change to the country."

Continuing her criticism, she said, "During the movement, he showed the entire country so many big, sweet dreams, and the country was impressed. But what did he do? As soon as he came to power, he built a house worth a hundred crores. He added a bar, installed carpets worth crores, and bought a refrigerator costing lakhs and crores. His sofa is so luxurious. And now, after the people of Delhi defeated him, he has moved to Punjab."

She also targeted the AAP government in Punjab under chief minister Bhagwant Mann, alleging misuse of power and resources. "They're using Punjab like an ATM. The man they had me beaten up by was given Z-plus security. Today, he’s been appointed Bhagwant Mann’s chief advisor... The man who used to speak out against VIP protocol, when his convoy moves out, we’re counting fifty cars, but it goes above fifty. So, what constitutes treason? I call acting against one's core principles treason. And there’s no bigger traitor than Arvind Kejriwal."

The dramatic exit of seven AAP Rajya Sabha members on Friday dealt a significant blow to the party’s leadership. Along with Chadha, leaders like Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal announced their departure from the party, which had emerged from the anti-corruption movement spearheaded by activist Anna Hazare in 2012.