Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh alleged that there is a “conspiracy to kill” party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, by denying him access to insulin for his type-2 diabetes, ANI reported.
Kejriwal, who is the AAP convenor, is being housed in Tihar Jail after his arrest on corruption charges in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam case. He was arrested on March 21 and has been in Tihar since April 1. The trial court, on April 15, extended his judicial custody till April 23.
The Allegations
“Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is not being given insulin. If a patient with diabetes is not given insulin on time, for that person, it becomes a question of life or death. A conspiracy is being hatched to kill him (Arvind Kejriwal). The people of Delhi will give a reply to this crime,” Sanjay Singh told reporters.
“The person who provided electricity, water, and other facilities to the citizens of Delhi… Kejriwal who arranged free medicines for the people… you see, today there is such a cruel government in the country that is not arranging medicines for Kejriwal ji and insulin,” he added.
AAP leaders held a ‘Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se Sankalp Sabha’ on April 20 in the Sarojini Nagar area, protesting against Kejriwal’s arrest.
What Does Tihar Jail Administration Say?
The Tihar Jail Administration on its part has said that it is “incorrect” to say Kejriwal is being denied insulin. In a report on April 20, the administration updated the Delhi Lieutenant Governor on Kejriwal’s health.
As per the report, Kejriwal is on insulin for diabetes control but was on an “insulin reversal programme” much before being arrested.
“CM Kejriwal, as advised by the Telangana Doctor, was on an insulin reversal program and the Doctor had stopped insulin dosage much before the arrest of CM Kejriwal. At the time of arrest, he was just taking a basic anti-diabetes oral medicine tablet, Metformin,” the report said.
The report noted that Kejriwal had informed Jail doctors during medical check-ups that he had been taking insulin for the past few years, but had stopped taking it a few months back on the advice of a Telangana doctor. The report further said that the MLC report from RML Hospital shows Kejriwal was neither advised nor required to take insulin.
“On April 10 and 15, Kejriwal was reviewed by a medicine specialist and advised oral anti-diabetic drugs or medicines. It is incorrect to state that Kejriwal was denied insulin at any point of time during his treatment,” the report said.
It added that the medical specialist noted that since Kejriwal’s blood sugar levels are “not alarming”, administration of insulin is “not required as of now”.
Mangoes, Diet and Medical Bail
On April 18, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed before the court that Kejriwal was eating food high in sugar such as mangoes and sweets every day, despite having Type-2 diabetes, “to create grounds for medical bail”.
Kejriwal has refuted ED’s claims by asserting before a court that the food he consumed conformed with the diet chart prepared by his doctor.
On April 19, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court reserved an order on a plea moved by Kejriwal seeking direction to Tihar jail authorities to administer insulin and allow him to consult doctors through video conferencing daily for 15 minutes for his acute diabetes and fluctuating blood sugar level.
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Published: 21 Apr 2024, 10:18 AM IST