Former Delhi deputy chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia’s wife Seema Sisodia ( 49) was on Tuesday admitted to the neurology department of Indraprastha Apollo Hospital after her health deteriorated. She has been suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). “Seema Sisodia is suffering from an autoimmune disorder, multiple sclerosis. Her condition had deteriorated and she had to be hospitalised,” according to sources. In this disease, the brain gradually loses control over the body. His son studies abroad and, therefore, his wife is alone. Meanwhile , Delhi Rouse Avenue court will pronounce order on the bail plea of Manish Sisodia on Wednesday.
According to doctors, multiple sclerosis is a disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord. The common symptoms include numbness or weakness in one or more limbs that typically occurs on one side of the body at a time, tingling, electric-shock sensations that occur with certain neck movements, lack of coordination, unsteady gait or inability to walk, partial or complete loss of vision, prolonged double vision, blurry vision, vertigo, problems with sexual, bowel and bladder function, fatigue, slurred speech, cognitive problems and mood disturbances.
Aam Aadmi Party chief spokesperson and Delhi Cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “Manish ji’s wife is suffering from a rare and serious ailment. One in a million is affected by this. In this disease, the brain loses control of body parts. The patient grows dependent.” “We hope she recovers. She was hospitalised a few years back for a long time. At that time, the ailment was not revealed. The BJP had even done a press conference saying that Sisodia ji had taken a huge amount of money for mediclaim,” he said. The senior party leader rued that there was no family member by her side.
“I think party members must be with her. The disease is quite unpredictable and the patient needs emotional support too. Manish ji is not there and her son is abroad.”
Manish had also sought bail from court on earlier occasions citing his wife’s ill health and his son being abroad. A court is expected to deliver an order on his bail plea on April 26. “The court should consider the situation,” Bharadwaj said.
In a statement, the AAP said that Sisodia’s wife is currently showing symptoms which include reduced mobility, loss of balance with increased risk of falls, as well as bowel and bladder control problems. MS eventually leads to loss of muscle control, slowly taking away the patient’s ability to move, walk or talk.
After the AAP leader was arrested in February in connection with the excise policy case, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann had visited Sisodia’s residence to meet his wife and assured her of all support. Kejriwal had said Seema Sisodia “is suffering from a very serious disease”.