By – Shubhendra Singh Rajawat
AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the Tihar jail administration of flip-flopping and maintained the party’s statements that a scheme was in development for Arvind Kejriwal’s “patient when it comes death” in jail.
New Delhi : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today released a letter from the Director General of Prisons asking a senior AIIMS doctor for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, challenging prison authorities’ allegations that there are insufficient medical facilities at Tihar jail.
AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj criticized the jail administration, pointing out a flip-flop, and maintained the party’s allegations that a scheme was being plotted for Arvind Kejriwal’s “slow death” in prison.
Sanjay Baniwal, Director General of Prisons, wrote to AIIMS yesterday, requesting that the hospital arrange for a prominent diabetologist to see Mr Kejriwal.
Soon after the AAP Ministers’ flip-flop claim, the jail administration said a prominent doctor from AIIMS was consulted via video conference at the request by the Chief Minister’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal.
“After a detailed advice, Arvind Kejriwal was assured that there was no serious concern and was advised to continue with the prescribed medicines, which will be evaluated and reviewed on a regular basis,” the government stated in a statement.
Mr. Bharadwaj and Minister Atishi of Delhi had stated yesterday that Mr. Kejriwal is being forced to die a “slow death” because he fails to receive insulin or able to see his physicians.
According to Atishi, Mr Kejriwal used to take 50 units of insulin per day before being jailed. “A plan to assassinate Mr Kejriwal in jail is underway at the BJP’s direction. “The chief minister has been taking insulin for 12 years; what is the problem with the Tihar administration giving him insulin?” she declared.
The Tihar authorities claim that insulin is easy to find in the jail hospital and can be provided to Mr Kejriwal “as needed.”
The Enforcement Directorate arrested Mr. Kejriwal on March 21 in connection to a money-laundering investigation regarding the Delhi government’s since-canceled excise scheme.
According to medical documents from RML Hospital, Mr Kejriwal was “not counseled or required any insulin,” according to the Tihar report, which also stated that the chief minister’s health was examined by a medicine specialist on April 10 and 15.
The expert suggested oral anti-diabetic medications, and it is “incorrect to state that Mr Kejriwal was denied insulin at any point of time” during his treatment, according to the statement.
Following an examination of Mr Kejriwal, the medicine specialist said, “Given all of the parameters and vitals of undertrial prisoner (Mr Kejriwal) since his lodgment in judicial custody, his blood sugar levels are not alarming, and insulin administration is not required as of now.”
The ED had told the court that despite having type 2 diabetes, Arvind Kejriwal was eating sugary foods like mangoes and sweets on a daily basis in order to qualify for medical release.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal had been eating high-sugar foods like “sweets, laddoos, bananas, mangoes, fruit chaat, fried food, namkeen, bhujia, sweetened tea, poori-aloo, pickles and other high cholesterol food on a regular basis,” according to the administration, which had previously requested a diet plan for him.
But Mr. Kejriwal rejected the ED’s allegations in court, saying that the food he eaten matched the diet plan his physician had prescribed.