Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal stated that she has never been driven by a desire for any position, but she would not relinquish her Parliamentary membership after the treatment she received from the party. On Thursday, Maliwal expressed in an interview with news agency ANI that she would have gladly surrendered her Rajya Sabha membership if the party had asked her to do so.
This statement came in response to reports suggesting that the AAP wanted her to vacate her Rajya Sabha seat for a specific lawyer, which may have caused the party's displeasure with her. Maliwal clarified, "Had they asked me politely to give up my Rajya Sabha membership, I would have given my life. I have never been greedy or after any position."
Maliwal recounted her dedication to the party, saying, "I gave up my engineering job to join these people in 2006 when no one knew them. I have worked on the ground and run various operations all these years. I was a crucial part of the core group. I would have resigned readily. I can work without any position."
However, due to the way the party treated her, Maliwal asserted that she would not resign now, and "nor can any power make her give up the Rajya Sabha membership." She highlighted her experiences of "character assassination" and "victim shaming," expressing her determination to work even harder and demonstrate what 'an ideal Parliamentarian' should be.
Reflecting on the situation, Maliwal remarked, "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." She added that she never anticipated being beaten and isolated through complete character assassination.
Maliwal concluded by noting the rise in egos within the party, stating, "I think everyone's ego has increased a lot but I believe that everything begins from the top."
