New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lost only 2 kg in prison and his health was being regularly monitored by a medical board of AIIMS, Tihar jail authorities said on Monday, refuting as “false” and “misleading” claims by Aam Aadmi Party that his health was deteriorating.
However, senior AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi in a press conference again alleged that the BJP was trying to cause permanent physical damage to Kejriwal and his blood sugar dropped to 50 mg/dL five times. She claimed he could slip into a coma.
The BJP claimed that whenever a court hearing in Kejriwal’s case is close, the AAP leaders resort to “rhetoric” about medical issues so that he can get bail.
Atishi had on Sunday claimed that Kejriwal, who was a diabetic, faced an acute health risk due to “unexplained weightloss of 8.5 kg” and dangerously low sugar levels.
Since Kejriwal’s arrest in the excise policy-linked money laundering case on March 21, AAP and Tihar jail administration have been at loggerheads over Kejriwal’s health condition, with AAP alleging that he was not being given the required medical attention.
“Doctors would tell you when the sugar level of a diabetes patient drops suddenly it is fatal and within 20-30 minutes he can slip into a coma, face brain stroke and haemorrhage and can even die,” Atishi said on Monday.
In a report sent to the Delhi government’s Home Department, the Tihar administration shared Kejriwal’s vitals and said that the narrative created by AAP ministers and leaders “confuses and misleads the public”.
It stated that Kejriwal weighed 65 kg when he first came to prison on April 1 and 66 kg between April 8 and 29. When he returned to prison on June 2 after a 21-day bail, his weight was 63.5 kg.
“On July 14, his weight was 61.5 kg. So, effectively, he lost 2 kg,” the report stated.
According to the report, Kejriwal has been eating home-cooked food in jail but regularly sends back portions of his meals.
The prison administration said in its report that the AAP’s narrative with “false information and ulterior motive” was intended to “browbeat” it.
“The blood pressure and sugar levels and weight of the accused are regularly being monitored and he is provided adequate treatment for all his ailments and is regularly having home-cooked food thrice a day,” it said.
A medical board of AIIMS has been constantly monitoring the chief minister and his wife Sunita Kejriwal remains in regular touch with the board, the Tihar report stated.
“These facts are brought on record in the light of the media vilification being carried out by vested interest groups,” it said.
Meanwhile, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the report “leaked” by the prison authorities showed that Kejriwal lost weight and suffered multiple hypoglycemia episodes in jail due to which “something untoward” could happen.
Singh had on Saturday claimed that Kejriwal lost 8.5 kg in prison and this could be a sign of some serious ailment. He also claimed that the blood sugar level of the AAP national convener had dropped below 50 mg/dl five times.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that whenever a court hearing in Kejriwal’s case is close, the AAP leaders resort to rhetoric that he is facing medical issues like weight loss and a decline in blood sugar level.
“Kejriwal eats home-cooked food in jail every day. If he is losing weight it means his food lacks nutrients which is being intentionally done to facilitate his bail,” he alleged.
AAP’s Sanjay Singh alleged the BJP was playing with Kejriwal’s life. It is a crime to “leak” someone’s medical report and there should be a probe into this, he said.
Even the medical report “leaked” by the Tihar jail authorities to the media states that he lost weight and suffered multiple hypoglycemia episodes in prison, he said.
“Something untoward might happen someday and he (Kejriwal) could slip into a coma,” the AAP MP claimed.
Atishi alleged that the BJP has put Kejriwal’s life in danger. She asked the BJP to stop playing with the life of the Delhi Chief Minister and doing politics over it.
“It stooped so low that it got leaked documents of Tihar administration to say that there was no problem with Kejriwal’s health,” she charged.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy 2021-22.
He was granted bail by the Supreme Court recently but could not be released as he is in judicial custody in a related case following his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on June 26.
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