NEW DELHI: The Tihar jail administration and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are engaged in a tense dispute regarding the well-being of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal during his imprisonment.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday alleged an “acute” health risk to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal while in judicial custody. Delhi cabinet minister Atishi stated that Kejriwal, a severe diabetic, has experienced dangerously low sugar levels and significant weight loss.
At a press conference in New Delhi, Atishi said, “The BJP has conspired to put Kejriwal in jail in a fake case. There is an acute danger to his health. His weight has declined by 8.5 kgs and his sugar levels have fallen below 50 five times in sleep. This is a worrying situation especially for a diabetic.”
In response, Tihar Jail administration dismissed the Aam Aadmi Party’s claims about Arvind Kejriwal’s well-being on Monday, asserting that the Delhi Chief Minister’s vital signs were within normal ranges.
Tihar jail administration has released a comprehensive update on the Chief Minister’s health condition, addressing the concerns raised about his alleged 8.5 kg weight loss.
Tihar jail sources stated that Kejriwal had only lost 2 kg and was under regular monitoring by an AIIMS medical board.
According to Kejriwal’s health report provided by Tihar sources, he weighed 65 kg upon his initial arrival at the prison on April 1 and maintained a weight of 66 kg between April 8 and 29.
When he returned to prison on June 2 following a 21-day bail, his weight was recorded at 63.5 kg. As of July 14, his weight had decreased to 61.5 kg, indicating an effective weight loss of 2 kg.
The prison administration has written to the Delhi government’s Home Department, rejecting the AAP’s allegations regarding Kejriwal’s health.
In the letter, they stated that such narratives “confuse and mislead the public with false information and ulterior motives with intent to browbeat the prison administration”.
The letter also emphasized that Kejriwal’s blood pressure, sugar levels, and weight are regularly monitored, and he is provided with adequate treatment for all his ailments, as well as home-cooked meals three times a day.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dismissed the claims as a drama, pointing out that Kejriwal had extensively campaigned for the Lok Sabha polls without any health issues when he was out of jail. However, as his arrest approached, he began citing health concerns.
The Delhi BJP chief, Virendra Sachdeva, suggested that AAP functionaries were aware of the party’s diminishing political significance amidst growing corruption allegations. He added that if Kejriwal remained in jail for an extended period, his party might disintegrate, prompting “desperate” AAP functionaries to reiterate their statements daily to secure Kejriwal’s bail.
Sachdeva further stated, “Delhiites are witnesses to how Kejriwal, who was out on bail before the elections, campaigned every day, and no one saw him going to hospital even once. But when the day of going to jail came, he started pretending to be ill again.” He claimed that Kejriwal’s “poor health drama” was merely an attempt to mislead the CBI court and obtain bail.
Delhi CM Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 was in connection with a corruption case related to Delhi’s now-scrapped liquor policy.
Despite being granted temporary bail to participate in the Lok Sabha election campaign, he has since returned to Tihar jail to continue serving his sentence.
The Supreme Court recently granted interim bail to Kejriwal in a money laundering case registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the alleged Delhi excise scam.
However, Kejriwal will remain in jail until he secures interim or regular bail in the same case, registered against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which arrested him last month.