New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal was detained on Thursday after staging a dramatic protest by dumping three mini-truckloads of garbage outside the residence of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Her protest was aimed at highlighting the worsening sanitation crisis in the national capital.
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Maliwal’s Protest Against Delhi’s Garbage Crisis
Earlier in the day, Maliwal visited Vikaspuri, where she alleged that the streets were overflowing with waste, creating severe health and hygiene hazards for residenNew Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal was detained on Thursday after staging a dramatic protest by dumping three mini-truckloads of garbage outside the residence of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Her protest was aimed at highlighting the worsening sanitation crisis in the national capital.
ts. Expressing her frustration over the city’s deteriorating sanitation conditions, she, along with a group of supporters, collected garbage in three mini trucks and transported it to Kejriwal’s official residence at 5, Ferozeshah Road.
Maliwal was joined by hundreds of women carrying placards that read, “Muskuraiye, AAP Delhi Mein Hain” (Smile, You Are in AAP’s Delhi). As she used a shovel to dump waste outside Kejriwal’s house, female police personnel confronted her, leading to her immediate removal from the site. She was later detained and taken to the Parliament Street Police Station.
Legal Action and Maliwal’s Response
According to police sources, Maliwal was released a few hours later. An FIR was registered against her under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for violating prohibitory orders.
Speaking to reporters after her release, Maliwal launched a scathing attack on Kejriwal and his administration. She stated, “For the past ten years, Arvind Kejriwal has turned Delhi into a giant garbage dump. Roads are broken, drains are overflowing, and waste is piling up everywhere. Women and children are forced to live in unhygienic conditions, and yet the government does nothing.”
Social Media Outcry
Before her protest, Maliwal shared a video on X (formerly Twitter), showing her and her supporters collecting garbage from Vikaspuri. She captioned the post, “There have been heaps of garbage on the roads in Vikaspuri for years. People are very angry. They are going to collect all this garbage and dump it at Kejriwal’s house.”
She further added, “The condition of the entire Delhi has deteriorated. The filth and stink that Delhiites face daily will be faced by Kejriwal ji today. The public is coming, Kejriwal ji, don’t be afraid.”
Political Tensions and AAP’s Response
Maliwal’s protest adds another chapter to her ongoing strained relationship with AAP and Kejriwal. The friction between her and the party leadership escalated last year when she accused Kejriwal’s personal secretary of misbehaving with her at his residence. The case is currently under judicial review.
While AAP has yet to release an official statement on Maliwal’s protest, party insiders claim that her actions were an attempt to garner attention amid her ongoing dispute with the leadership.
Delhi’s Growing Sanitation Woes
Delhi has been facing a severe waste management crisis, with garbage piling up in various parts of the city. Despite multiple campaigns and government initiatives, sanitation remains a major concern for residents. Maliwal’s protest has reignited the debate on accountability and governance in the national capital.
As political tensions continue to rise, Delhiites are left hoping for effective solutions to the city’s worsening sanitation problems. Whether this protest will lead to policy changes or remain a symbolic act of defiance remains to be seen.
