Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had stopped taking insulin months before his arrest and is on a basic anti-diabetes oral medicine, officials said on Saturday, citing a report by the Tihar jail administration to Lt Governor VK Saxena.
The report, submitted by the Tihar director general on Friday, said that the chief minister’s health was reviewed on April 10 and April 15 by a medicine specialist who advised oral anti-diabetic drugs and it is “incorrect to state that Kejriwal was denied insulin at any point of time” during his treatment.
It said that there is adequate availability of insulin in the jail dispensary and it can be administered to Kejriwal “as and when required”, the officials added.
Saxena had on April 18 asked the director general of prisons to submit a factual report on the Aam Aadmi Party’s allegations that Kejriwal was not being provided insulin in Tihar jail.
AAP leader Atishi claimed that the report has “exposed” the “conspiracy to kill” Kejriwal in jail, while the BJP asked AAP to stop its “false campaign” on the issue.
In a statement, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that Kejriwal under “careful medical supervision” started an ‘Insulin Reversal Programme’ and the administration of insulin was “discontinued” and replaced by oral medication.
However, the insulin reversal programme stopped after his arrest on March 21, it said.
“Therefore, CM Arvind Kejriwal, who is a severe Type-II Insulin dependent diabetic, has to be restored the administration of insulin to manage his sugar levels,” said AAP, claiming that Kejriwal faces the risk of a multi-organ failure if his sugar level remains consistently high.
“At the behest of the BJP, a conspiracy is underway to kill Kejriwal in jail. The chief minister has been taking insulin for 12 years, what is the problem for the Tihar administration in giving insulin to him?” she asked.
The Delhi minister also claimed that Kejriwal used to take 50 units of insulin daily before he was sent to jail.
The Tihar report said that Kejriwal — under the care of a Telangana-based private doctor for diabetes — stopped taking insulin a few months ago and, at the time of his arrest, he was on a basic anti-diabetes oral tablet called “Metformin”.
During his medical check-ups in Tihar jail, Kejriwal told doctors that he had been taking insulin “since the last few years and stopped taking it a few months back”, it said.
Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy. He has been lodged in Tihar jail since April 1.
According to the medical records from RML Hospital, Kejriwal was “neither advised any insulin nor any requirement of any insulin was indicated”, the report said and added that the chief minister’s health was reviewed by a medicine specialist on April 10 and April 15.
The medicine specialist, after examining Kejriwal, noted, “Considering all parameters and vitals of undertrial prisoner (Kejriwal) since his lodgment in judicial custody, his blood sugar levels are not alarming, and administration of insulin is not required as of now.”
The Tihar administration, in a letter to AIIMS seeking a diet plan for the AAP chief, said Kejriwal had been consuming high-sugar food such as “sweets, laddoos, bananas, mangoes, fruit chaat, fried food, namkeen, bhujia, sweetened tea, poori-aloo, pickles and other high cholesterol food regularly”, the report said.
The diet plan provided by AIIMS has “strictly prohibited” fried foods like Poori, Paratha, Samosa, and Namkeen, fruits like mangoes and bananas, sweets, cake, chocolates, pickles, and vegetables like potatoes among others, it said.
Kejriwal is only allowed to consume 20 ml of oil per day in his food.
On the demand by Kejriwal for videoconferencing with his doctor, the Tihar administration has said that, according to a government circular, no referral can be made to any private hospital.
The Aam Aadmi Party said that Arvind Kejriwal is a “severe diabetes patient” and was administered 28 units of Novorapid (before three meals) and 22 units of Lantus (at night). A total of 50 units of insulin was being administered to him every day.
“Kejriwal’s sugar levels have increased to alarming levels and crossed 300 on several days since April 12. However, despite his repeated requests, he is being denied insulin administration by Tihar Jail authorities,” it alleged.
“It is a well-known fact in medical science that such consistently high sugar levels can over time result in multiple-organ failure. It can cause irreversible damage to nerves, liver, kidney, heart, retina and many other body organs. Is that what the BJP and LG want? The party alleged denying insulin to the chief minister in jail is “cruel, inhuman and tantamount to attempt to murder him while in judicial custody.”
The party alleged, “It has become absolutely clear that the BJP and the LG have orchestrated a grand conspiracy to kill CM Arvind Kejriwal in custody since they are unable to find any evidence against him in the alleged Delhi liquor scam.”
No immediate reaction was available from the Delhi LG office, the BJP or the Tihar administration over charges and claims of AAP.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said that the detailed report by the jail administration has exposed the “false campaign” by the Aam Aadmi Party that the chief minister is not getting medicines in jail.
Sachdeva said that the people of Delhi want Arvind Kejriwal to receive appropriate treatment in Tihar Jail and a panel of doctors of AIIMS should look after him.
He said it would be better for the Aam Aadmi Party to stop “false and misleading politics” over Kejriwal’s health after the medical report.
He also said that the Tihar jail is under the jurisdiction of the Delhi government but the entire AAP leadership is “making noise about food and medicine” for the jailed chief minister.
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