Amidst politics over surrounding Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s diabetes treatment in Tihar jail, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday alleged that the Tihar authorities have requested a diabetologist from AIIMS, contradicting their earlier claim of adequate medical facilities for diabetics in the prison.
After the AAP shared a letter written by the Director General of Prisons requesting a senior AIIMS doctor for Kejriwal, countering the prison authorities claim of adequate medical facilities in Tihar jail, Samajwadi party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said high-level cognisance should be taken of the news that he is being denied insulin.
Yadav in a post on X said, “Kejriwal has a fundamental right to good health. This news is unbelievable that he is being denied insulin to control his rising sugar level in jail. Immediate high level cognisance of this news should be taken and it should be found out whose instructions are behind this conspiracy.” He also used the hashtag
‘Give_Insulin_to_Kejriwal’ and ‘Nahi_Chahiye_BJP’ in his post.
Reacting to this, South Delhi BJP candidate and leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the AAP is trying to make Kejriwal’s issue alive to get sympathy vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha. “
AAP leaders are playing a victim card but they are silent on corruption in their eight years rule. Team Kejriwal is the biggest liar in the country. Their politics depends on fake narratives. Look how they conduct four to five press conferences on the same issue, just to spread lies,” he added.
Carrying insulin, the workers and leaders of the AAP protested outside the Tihar jail in west Delhi on Sunday and demanded that insulin be given to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who is suffering from diabetes.
Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi and AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha were present at the protest site. Scores of party workers carrying placards saying ‘Kejriwal ko insulin do’ sang ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram’ outside the jail.
Earlier, AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj hit out at the jail administration — alleging a flip-flop — and reiterated the party’s claim that a conspiracy was being hatched for Arvind Kejriwal’s “slow death” in the prison.
The Delhi Minister alleged manipulation in Kejriwal’s treatment, claiming that a normal doctor’s recommendations were being used to deny the CM insulin.
Meanwhile sources said doctors from AIIMS Delhi provided a 40-minute consultation to jailed Kejriwal in Tihar Jail via video conferencing on Saturday, during which he was assured of no serious health concerns and was advised to continue taking the prescribed medicines.
In a letter to AIIMS, Sanjay Beniwal, Director General of Prisons, on Saturday requested the hospital to arrange a senior diabetologist for Kejriwal. Soon after the AAP Ministers’ flip-flop charge, the jail administration said a senior doctor from AIIMS was consulted via video conferencing following a request by the Chief Minister’s wife Sunita Kejriwal.
The senior AAP leader said if a diabetic patient measures his sugar, his sugar is increasing very fast and decreasing very fast. That is why if a sugar patient is severely diabetic, then he roams around with glucose, toffee or any other sweet in his pocket. Many times, you must have seen that when a diabetic patient becomes unconscious, people say give him sugar water or glucose so that he can recover. If his sugar level comes up, then he can survive otherwise he will die.
The Tihar administration responded to Bharadwaj’s charge and said appropriate senior specialists from AIIMS provided consultation to Kejriwal through video conference on Saturday.”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 said.
The video conference was organised by the Tihar Jail administration on a request by 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 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, 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.
However, a note from the LG’s office questioned the Chief Minister “surreptitiously” seeking treatment at a private clinic in Telangana, calling it “curious”, and drew attention to the “south Indian liquor cartel that played a key role in framing and execution of the excise policy of the AAP Government.
