“Main resign nahi karungi…”: Swati Maliwal refuses to give up Rajya Sabha seat

Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal declared on Thursday that she would have willingly given up her Rajya Sabha seat if requested, but now, despite any pressure, she firmly said, “I will not resign” (“ab chaahe duniya ki koi bhi shakti lag jaye main resign nahi karungi”). In an exclusive interview with ANI, Maliwal highlighted that she is the youngest woman Parliamentarian and emphasised that she never showed any “desire” for any position.

“Agar meri Rajya Sabha ki seat unhe chahiye thi, woh pyaar se maangte toh main jaan de deti, MP toh bohot choti baat hain. (If they needed my Rajya Sabha seat, they would have asked for it, I would have given my life, it is such a small thing). If you see my whole career I never showed any desire for any position. In 2006, I left my engineering job and joined this when nobody used to know us. Only three people were there and I was one of them. I have been working since then. The way they have beaten me, ‘Ab chaahe duniya ki koi bhi shakti lag jaye main resign nahi karungi’ (I will not resign now). I have been told that this is the reason my character is being assassinated. I will not resign. I am the youngest women Parliamentarian right now and I will work very hard and will become an ideal,” Maliwal said.

When asked why you never realized that some of the members of the parties are becoming powerful, she said that everyone’s ego has increased.

“I have been with them since 2006. When we used to work at that time there was a very different environment. There was next level ‘Josh’ in each one of us. I lived in the slums for 7 years and we all used to work in this manner but when power comes, I think many things come with it and the biggest thing that comes is ego. Slowly and gradually when ego takes over your head, you probably cannot see what is true, what is false, what is right, what is wrong…I never thought that a girl would be beaten first and then she would be isolated with complete character assassination. I think everyone’s ego has increased a lot but I believe that everything begins from the top,” she said.Earlier in January this year, Maliwal, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member, was elected to Rajya Sabha unopposed.

Following the assault allegations levelled by Aam Aadmi Party MP Swati Maliwal against a former aide of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena said that the silence of the AAP chief on this matter shows his stance about the issue of the safety of women.

A case was filed against Bibhav Kumar and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to investigate the case based on Maliwal’s complaint. Bibhav was arrested by the Delhi Police on Sunday, May 19, and is currently in police custody.

Inputs from ANI