Swati Maliwal detained for dumping garbage outside Kejriwal’s residence
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Delhi’s sanitation crisis took center stage on Thursday as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal was detained for protesting against waste accumulation in the city by dumping garbage outside the residence of former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Earlier in the day, Maliwal visited Vikaspuri, where she claimed that streets were clogged with garbage, creating serious health and hygiene hazards for residents. Frustrated by the lack of action, she, along with a group of supporters, collected the waste in three mini-trucks and transported it to Kejriwal’s residence at 5, Ferozeshah Road.
The protest saw hundreds of women holding placards with the slogan "Muskuraiye, AAP Delhi Mein Hain" (Smile, You Are in AAP’s Delhi) as Maliwal used a shovel to dump waste outside Kejriwal’s house. The demonstration was soon interrupted by female police personnel, who detained her and escorted her to the Parliament Street Police Station.
Following the protest, Maliwal was detained for a few hours before being released. Authorities confirmed that an FIR was registered against her under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for violating prohibitory orders.
Speaking to reporters after her release, Maliwal criticised Kejriwal’s governance, stating, "For the past ten years, Delhi has been turned into a garbage dump. Roads are broken, drains are overflowing, and waste is piling up. Women and children are forced to live in unhygienic conditions while the government does nothing."
Before her protest, Maliwal had shared a video on X showing her and others collecting garbage from Vikaspuri, writing, "The residents of Vikaspuri have been living with heaps of garbage for years. Today, we will take this waste and dump it at Kejriwal’s doorstep."
She further challenged Kejriwal in her post, stating, "The filth that Delhiites endure daily will now be at Kejriwal ji’s doorstep. The public is coming, Kejriwal ji, don’t be afraid."
Maliwal’s relationship with AAP leadership has been tense over the past year. She previously alleged that she was mistreated at Kejriwal’s residence by his personal secretary, a case that is currently under judicial review.