Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday wrote to the superintendent of Tihar jail where he is lodged since April 1, claiming he has been asking for insulin every day and that AIIMS doctors never said there was no reason to worry about his diabetic condition.
His letter to the superintendent comes a day after the Tihar administration issued a statement stating they had arranged his video conference with senior specialists from AIIMS during which neither “the issue of insulin was raised by Kejriwal, nor was it suggested by the doctors”.
The chief minister alleged that the Tihar administration issued a “false and misleading” statement under “political pressure”.
There was no immediate reaction from Tihar jail authorities on Delhi chief minister’s allegations. Delhi cabinet minister Atishi shared Kejriwal’s letter on her X handle. The chief minister rejected the jail administration’s claim that the issue of insulin was never raised by him in his consultations with the doctors.
“This is false. I have raised the issue of insulin for 10 days, every day, multiple times. I showed my high sugar levels to every doctor who came to see me. I showed them that there were 3 peaks in the sugar level every day -- between 250-320,” he said in his letter.
“I also showed them that my fasting sugar level was in the range of 160-200 every day. Almost every day, I demanded insulin. Then how could you make such a statement that I never raised the issue of insulin?” Kejriwal asked.
The Delhi chief minister in his letter also contradicted Tihar administration’s statement that the AIIMS doctors assured there was no “serious concern” regarding his sugar levels.
“The AIIMS doctors never assured any such thing. They said that they will see all the data and then give their advice,” Kejriwal claimed.
The chief minister said he was “pained” that the Tihar administration issued a “false statement” under “political pressure” and hoped it will follow the law and Constitution of the country.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the Tihar administration of denying insulin to Kejriwal, who suffers from diabetes. The party has also alleged a “conspiracy” to “kill” him.
The Tihar administration, in the statement said senior specialists from AIIMS provided consultation to Kejriwal during the video call on April 20.
“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 had said.
The video conference was organised by the Tihar Jail administration on a request by the chief minister’s wife Sunita Kejriwal. Apart from a senior specialist from the hospital, medical officers of the Tihar jail were also on the call.
The AIIMS specialist was provided with a complete record of CGM (Glucose Monitoring Sensor) and the details of diet and medicines being taken by Kejriwal, the official said.
“Neither the issue of insulin was raised by Kejriwal, nor was it suggested by the doctors,” the official added.
Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy. He is lodged in Tihar jail since April 1.
