Delhi: Ex-Kejriwal ally Swati Maliwal dumps garbage outside his house in cleanliness protest, detained (WATCH)

Once a close aide of Arvind Kejriwal, Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal staged a protest outside the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence on Thursday. The protest, aimed at raising awareness about the worsening cleanliness conditions in the city, saw Maliwal dumping garbage near Kejriwal's house. The MP was later detained by the police.

Accompanied by residents, Maliwal began her protest by visiting a garbage dump in the Vikaspuri area. She slammed Kejriwal, accusing him of neglecting the sanitation and infrastructure issues in Delhi. “We are bringing this garbage to Kejriwal's residence to show him the filth he has left all across the city. What does he have to say about this?” Maliwal said. 

Maliwal highlighted the worsening situation in Delhi, claiming that roads are broken, drains are overflowing, and garbage is piling up in almost every corner of the city. She also mentioned the complaints from women in Vikaspuri, who said they had reported the garbage problem to their local legislator multiple times without any solution. “The situation has become unbearable. There is garbage everywhere and no action from the authorities,” she added.

The protest escalated as Maliwal criticized Kejriwal for being out of touch with the real issues facing Delhi's residents. “Kejriwal is no longer the common man he once portrayed himself to be. He has no understanding of the ground realities of Delhi,” she said, before making her way to the Delhi CM’s residence with a truckload of garbage.

Delhi Police detained Swati Maliwal after the protest. Speaking to the media, she stated, “The whole city has turned into a garbage dump. I came here to talk to Arvind Kejriwal. I would say to him, ‘Get your act together, or the people will make you change.’ I am not scared of his police or his goons.”

Maliwal, who was once a close associate of Kejriwal, has become one of his harshest critics, especially after an alleged assault on her last year at the Delhi CM's residence. Since then, she has used every opportunity to attack Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership over the deteriorating conditions in Delhi.

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In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Maliwal accused Kejriwal of using the police to get her arrested. “Coward Kejriwal called the police to his residence to arrest me,” she wrote. Earlier in the day, she had announced plans to bring three truckloads of garbage to Kejriwal’s house, a move that caught the attention of many.

Maliwal has been visiting various areas in Delhi over the past few weeks, highlighting the deplorable state of the city’s infrastructure and sanitation. .