Aam Admi Party (AAP) came to power in 2014 on a moral high ground of activism and fight against corruption and after en years it seems they have lost the “ moral high ground” and have become yet another political party with its usual “ chaltha hai” attitude, going by recent incidents, especially those relating to their own member of Rajya Sabha Ms Swati Maliwal.
Apart from the ugly incident involving Ms Maliwal‘s alleged physical abuse at Chief Minister Arvind Kejariwal’s residence, the move to clip the wings of the one of the finest women empowerment commission of the country, almost in a fit of rage to discredit its former Chairperson( Ms Maliwal) who has now taken on the party and blaming the Chief Minister for assault on her.
It seems the She is the last in the proverbial straw which exposes AAP leadership’s “moral high “ ground and activism in politics is indeed hollow.
Combined with the ongoing “liquor scam” allegations where the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and earlier expulsion of the founders of AAP, Mr. Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav within six months of coming to power in Delhi with a huge majority, had already shown the high handed personalized political working style of the AAP supremo Mr Kejariwal. The latest example being the ongoing campaign of calumny against Ms. Maliwal and also the effort to almost dismantle the Delhi Women’s Commission which had become an island of excellence among such commission’s across the country.
In a hard hitting letter to Chief Minister Ms Maliwal said, “This explicit attack by the Delhi Government exhibit unprecedented hostility towards the Commission’s work. Such a trajectory risks the Commission’s closure, jeopardizing the vital services rendered to survivors of crime and discrimination. As the Chief Minister of a city infamous as the ‘Rape Capital of the World,’ it is crucial to safeguard systems that protect women and girls.”
On 2 July 2024, Maliwal, member of Parliament, sill representing Aam Admi Party(AAP) wrote a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejariwal, her long time associate, now estranged after an alleged incident of physical abuse at his official residence during the run up to elections.
Swati Maliwal is no ordinary member of AAP, as she had a glorious tenure of 9 years as Chairperson of the Delhi Women’s Commission, with an excellent track record. Not just that Ms Mailwal was a n associate of Kejariwal from his NGO days and have been part of the India against corruption struggle with Anna Hazare, which saw the birth of AAP and its coming to power in Delhi.
The provocation for the Rajya Sabha MP, writing to the incarcerated Chief Minister was the decision of the Delhi Government to transfer the Delhi Women’s Commission’s women helpline 181 to the Department of Women and Child welfare.
“During my tenure, of over 8 years, the Commission successfully handled more than 1.7 Lakh complaints from women and children. Additionally, the 181 Women Helpline operated by the Commission received more than 41 Lakh calls since 2016. This Helpline ran with a sophisticated setup comprising of over 45 counsellors who responded to calls round the clock, even on national holidays and festivals. Supported by the Mobile Helpline Program, which includes a fleet of 23 cars and 66 counsellors available 24*7, the Helpline conducted over 2.5 lakh visits to aid women and children in distress across the Capital and carried out more than 2,500 rescue operations. The Helpline many times even successfully rescued girls and women from other states. The efficient functioning of the 181 Women Helpline drew the appreciation of foreign dignitaries, state governments, and commissions who regularly visited the DCW to study its operations.”, Ms Maliwal in her four page letter pointed out.
She went on “Furthermore, through the Rape Crisis Cell (RCC), the Commission stationed a lawyer in every Delhi court handling rape cases. The legal team of the Commission comprised of over 82 lawyers and supported survivors of sexual assault in 1.9 lakh court hearings over the past 8 years. RCC Lawyers even ensured filing of applications for victim compensation for all rape survivors, significantly assisting them during their trauma. The team filed over 8,215 applications for victim compensation, and its functioning is closely monitored by the judiciary. The judiciary has often commended the excellent work of RCC Lawyers in rehabilitating rape survivors. The Crisis Intervention Centre (CIC), staffed with 67 dedicated counselors, has provided support to over 60,751 sexual assault survivors in the past 8 years”.
In a letter which explained in detail, the working of the DWC, which has been made an impact socially and politically for AAP and Delhi. “ Whenever a rape is reported in the capital, the Delhi Police notifies the Commission through its 181 Women’s Helpline, and a CIC counsellor is dispatched to assist the survivor throughout the legal and medical procedures. The Commission’s counsellors provide vital psycho social support, guiding survivors through law enforcement agencies, hospitals and conducting personal sessions to aid them in overcoming their trauma. Through this process, the Commission has assisted in the registration of over 29,800 FIRS in cases of sexual assault and harassment in the Capital.”
Moreover, the Commission has been operating 57 Mahila Panchayat Centres, instrumental in handling domestic dispute cases and raising awareness at the grassroots level on gender issues. Over the years, these centres, operated by around 300 support staff, have played a crucial role in addressing over 2.13 lakh complaints registered therein and organising over 52,296 awareness sessions.
The commission had only 12 permanent staff and had employed a host of contract labour including empanelling lawyers to effectively address the issues with the judiciary and the various arms of the government. They have been denied the salaries, as the Delhi government has cut down the grant to the Commission. Roughly 674 families are grappling with the repercussions of delayed funds and non-payment of salaries and tehse staff are mostly from the lower strata of the society, the activist turned politician pointed out.
Kejariwal and AAP came to power discrediting an otherwise glorious tenure of the Congress Chief Minister Ms. Sheila Dixit. He contested against Ms Dixit the sitting Chief Minister and defeated her in a straight contest for Delhi assembly. Nemesis seems to catch up with Kejariwal. It is no coincidence that another die hard activist women Ms Maliwal who has stood up against his highly individual style of functioning and also exposing the “high moral ground activism in political”, which AAP used to tout to the public.
