Tihar Jail authorities on Monday said that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders were levelling baseless allegations related to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s health condition and have alleged such a narrative aims to browbeat the prison administration.
The jail authorities clarified that his blood pressure and sugar levels were being regularly monitored while in jail, Indian Express reported.
The clarification comes after AAP leader Sanjay Singh tore into the Tihar Jail authorities and claimed that Kejriwal has lost 8.5 kg since he went to prison, which he said could be a sign of serious illness, and that there is a conspiracy to kill him behind bars.
In a letter to the deputy secretary in the Delhi government, the Tihar Jail superintendent wrote that Kejriwal’s weight had reduced to 61.5 kg from 65 kg, as recorded on the day of his admission to the central jail on April 4. “As per the report of the Senior Medical Officer, the loss of weight may be due to consumption of less quantity of food or low calorie intake,” read the letter.
According to the report provided by the jail authorities, Kejriwal’s blood sugar levels have been fluctuating with frequent spikes since the time he was shifted to the jail.
Reacting to the report, Sanjay Singh had said that Tihar Jail had admitted that Kejriwal’s blood sugar levels had reduced several times. He said this could lead to a person slipping into a coma and suffering from a brain stroke.
The superintendent said that Kejriwal was under the round-the-clock supervision of the senior medical officer. “The health of the UTP (Kejriwal) is under continuous monitoring and his vitals are being checked daily,” said the letter.
The jail authorities said that baseless allegations had been levelled through social media posts by certain Delhi ministers, an MP and other legislators of the AAP. “Such a narrative confuses and misleads the public with false information and ulterior motives with intent to browbeat the prison administration,” the letter added.
The jail authorities also said that Kejriwal was provided adequate treatment for all his ailments and was regularly having home-cooked food thrice a day.
The senior medical officer has submitted in the report that Kejriwal is suffering from type-ll diabetes mellitus, chronic cough/bronchitis with chronic constipation with complaints of continuous body weight loss, body ache, weakness and hypoglycaemia, IE reported.
On July 8, a request was sent to the chairperson of the medical board of AIIMS, New Delhi, to arrange medical consultation for Arvind Kejriwal for further treatment and the evaluation of his blood sugar levels. Kejriwal then consulted doctors via videoconferencing.