AAP workers urged Tihar jail administration to ensure Arvind Kejriwal’s access to insulin, emphasising the critical nature of the Delhi CM’s medical condition.
Delhi minister Atishi on Sunday claimed that jailed chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s sugar levels have crossed 300, as she joined a protest staged by the Aam Aadmi Party carrying insult injections outside the Tihar jail. The protesters urged the Tihar jail administration to ensure Arvind Kejriwal’s access to insulin, emphasising the critical nature of his medical condition.
The protest was held after the Tihar jail administration submitted a report to Delhi Lt governor VK Saxena saying that the chief minister’s health was reviewed on April 10 and April 15 by a medicine specialist who advised oral anti-diabetic drugs and it is “incorrect to state that Arvind Kejriwal was denied insulin at any point of time” during his treatment.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy. He has been lodged in Tihar jail since April 1.
“Arvind Kejriwal is in jail for the last 20 days. He has been a diabetic for 30 years and his sugar levels have crossed 300. If you ask any doctor in the world, he will say that a sugar levels above 300 can’t be controlled without insulin. But, the Tihar administration at the direction of the BJP has denied insulin. Such cruelty even didn’t happen under the Britishers… What kind of cruelty is this from the BJP that they’re denying insulin to a diabetic having a sugar level above 300,” Atishi told reporters during the protest.
Later, taking to social media platform X (formally Twitter), Atishi wrote in Hindi, “@ArvindKejriwal Ji’s sugar levels have crossed 300, but the BJP has stooped to such a low level of politics that, on its instructions, the Tihar administration is not ready to give him insulin. When the Tihar administration could not provide insulin to Kejriwal ji, the people of Delhi themselves reached out to give insulin to their chief minister. But the police officers refused to even take it. If this is not a conspiracy to kill Kejriwal, then what is it?”
Meanwhile, another Delhi cabinet minister, Saurabh Bharadwaj, earlier on Sunday alleged that Tihar authorities have now requested a diabetologist from AIIMS in contradiction of their earlier stance of adequate medical facilities for diabetics being present in the prison.
“Yesterday (April 20), the director general (Prisons) wrote to AIIMS, asking for a diabetologist to be posted at Tihar. Kejriwal has been lodged at Tihar for nearly 20 days and they are asking for a diabetologist only now,” Saurabh Bharadwaj said at a press conference.
“On the one hand, the Tihar administration says they have medical facilities and then, they are writing to AIIMS, asking for a diabetologist,” Saurabh Bharadwaj said.
The Tihar administration responded to Saurabh Bharadwaj’s charge and said appropriate senior specialists from AIIMS provided consultation to Arvind Kejriwal through video conference on Saturday, news agency PTI reported.
“After a 40-minute detailed consultation, Kejriwal was assured that there was no serious concern and was advised to continue with the prescribed medicines, which will be evaluated and reviewed regularly,” a jail official was quoted as saying.
The video conference was organised by the Tihar Jail administration on a request by Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal. Apart from a senior specialist from the hospital, medical officers of Tihar were also on the call.
The AIIMS specialist was provided with a complete record of CGM (Glucose Monitoring Sensor) and details of diet and medicines being taken by Arvind Kejriwal.
“Neither the issue of insulin was raised by Kejriwal, nor was it suggested by the doctors,” the official added.
At the press conference, however, Bharadwaj reiterated that a “conspiracy” was being hatched to harm Kejriwal in judicial custody.
“There are two sides to it. Arvind Kejriwal says he needs insulin and he needs to consult a doctor. He said he wanted to consult his private doctor over a video call. On the other hand, the BJP and Tihar Jail are saying that he is okay and doesn’t need insulin. As per them, he’s fine,” the Delhi minister added
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s sugar levels have crossed 300
