Swati Maliwal’s blunt answers to the questions ‘I will stay in AAP, I have put a lot of hard work into it’

Swati Maliwal’s blunt answers: The election atmosphere in the capital has intensified. BJP, Aam Aadmi Party and Congress are attacking each other. In the midst of all this, an MP has become a challenger for his own party.

Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal may be straight away from the election fray, but she is raising people’s issues by travelling to assembly constituencies. He spoke to Swadesh Kumar and Ritika Mishra on all issues like upheaval in the party, election promises, their future, women empowerment etc. Here are the main parts of the conversation:

You are one of the founding members of the Aam Aadmi Party. For some time now, you’ve been having your party in the dock. What are the reasons?

I have been associated with Arvind Kejriwal since 2006. By the time the Anna movement started, we were only four or five people. Arvind Kejriwal has written a book called Swaraj. It was written for me and Manish Sisodia that their journey would not have been possible without these two.

Rajya Sabha Member Swati Maliwal

I know that I am from Aam Aadmi Party and I will stay from this party. This party is not the party of one or two people. I have also organised this party with my blood and sweat work. I have reached this point of my struggle and I am working on how to fulfil the approach of the Aam Aadmi Party and how to fix the problems that you are going on.

You have understood Delhi, have lived, how many possibilities are there for development here?

Delhi was not in such a bad situation during the Sheila government. We have come to a worse position than the government that we will do better than them. I have travelled to at least more than 20 assembly constituencies and the situation is getting worse.

The infrastructure has been completely destroyed. I have never seen so much garbage on the streets. There is water on the roads. The potential for development here is also high because the government here has not worked for some time.

What do you think are the major issues for people in this election?

According to me, the fundamental problems are the main issues on which the Delhi government has to organise daily press conferences. Wherever you go in Delhi, dirty, black water is coming. Every house has to spend 50 to 100 rupees every day to buy drinking water.

If every house has to spend Rs 2,500 to 3,000 to buy drinking water, then that is free water. Yamuna is still dirty. Arvind Kejriwal had said in the year 2021 that the Yamuna will be so clean that I will take the first dip, it has not been submerged yet. I think these are such important issues in Delhi and for the first time I believe that the election is being fought on real fundamental issues.