NEW DELHI: Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has accused chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, currently in judicial custody at Tihar jail of deliberately avoiding the prescribed medical diet and medicines, despite being provided with sufficient home-cooked food.
This allegation is based on a report from the Superintendent (Prison) regarding Kejriwal’s health status, according to communication from Raj Niwas.
Saxena, in a letter to chief secretary Naresh Kumar, highlighted several instances of “willful low calorie intake” by Kejriwal, pointing out that Kejriwal was not consuming the prescribed diet for all three meals from June 6 to July 13.
The letter alleges that Kejriwal’s weight dropped from 63.5 kg on June 2, 2024, to 61.5 kg by July 13, likely due to reduced calorie intake.
“The report also suggests loss of weight (now 61.5 kg which earlier was 63.5 Kg on the date of surrender – June 2, 2024). Prima facie, it appears to be due to less calorie intake,” stated Saxena’s letter.
There has been no immediate reaction from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on this development.
However, the AAP has accused the BJP and the central government of conspiring to cause lasting damage to Kejriwal’s health while in jail.
The party has claimed that Kejriwal has lost weight and experienced significant drops in his blood sugar levels.
They further alleged that Kejriwal’s blood sugar level dropped to as low as 50 mg/dL five times in one night, potentially putting him at risk of slipping into a coma or experiencing brain damage.
Saxena’s office suggested that Kejriwal be advised to adhere to his prescribed medication and insulin dosages, in addition to following the specified diet, given his history of Type-II Diabetes Mellitus.
The letter from the LG’s office indicated that on June 18, insulin was either not administered to Kejriwal or not recorded by prison authorities.
Furthermore, discrepancies were noted between glucometer test readings and continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) readings on most days.
For instance, on June 19, Kejriwal’s glucometer reading before lunch was 104 mg/dL, while the CGMS reading taken at 12:30 PM that day was 82 mg/dL.
“Glaring discrepancies between glucometer test readings and CGMS readings need to be verified by appropriate medical authorities,” the LG office stated.
According to the prison report, Kejriwal did not consume the prescribed diet during all three meals on July 6. On that day, he was administered five units of insulin before breakfast, four units before lunch and two units before dinner.
On July 7, the prescribed diet was again not followed by Kejriwal, as per the prison report.
On this date, Kejriwal received five units of insulin before breakfast and four units before lunch. “Insulin before dinner was refused by the CM,” the report detailed.
Saxena’s letter to the chief Secretary requested that chief minister Kejriwal adhere to his prescribed medical regimen, emphasizing the severe health risks posed by his current behavior.
AAP’s response
“LG sahab, do you understand what you have written? Tell me, would a person play with his own life? After the disclosure of your and BJP’s conspiracy to play with the health and life of CM Arvind Kejriwal ji, I am not able to answer you. This letter is the result of this confusion, in which you have written this misleading and false letter to cover up the conspiracy of BJP.”