AAP says Arvind Kejriwal’s health worsening in Tihar jail: Is it true?

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s physical well-being has come to the spotlight. His Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has alleged that its jailed national convenor’s health is deteriorating.

His party has claimed that Kejriwal has lost over four kgs since his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a graft case related to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy case on 21 March. This comes on the day the Delhi High Court is hearing the AAP leader’s plea challenging his arrest by the ED.

What has the AAP alleged? What are authorities saying? Let’s take a closer look.

AAP on Arvind Kejriwal’s health

Delhi minister and senior AAP leader Atishi said that Kejriwal, who is a “severe diabetic”, has lost 4.5 kg since he was arrested last month.

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“Despite his health problems, he works round the clock to serve the nation. Between his arrest and now, Arvind Kejriwal has lost 4.5 kg. This is very worrying. The BJP is putting his health in danger. If something happens to Arvind Kejriwal, not just the country, even God won’t forgive them,” she wrote in a post on X in Hindi earlier on Wednesday (3 April).

Later, she told a press conference that Kejriwal’s sugar level is monitored several times during the day. Atishi claimed that since the “Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government arrested him”, the Delhi CM’s “sugar levels fell thrice while he was in ED custody, even reaching 46 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) at one point, which can be deadly for any person”.

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“Today, the Delhi High Court will hear a plea challenging his arrest by ED. After the court decides on it, we will seek legal help over his health situation,” she was quoted as saying by PTI.

जब से @Arvindkejriwal जी को भाजपा की केंद्र सरकार ने गिरफ्तार किया है तब से उनके स्वास्थ्य पर जबरदस्त खतरा मंडरा रहा है।

जब वो ED की कस्टडी में थे तो 3 बार उनका शुगर लेवल गिरा और एक बार 46 तक पहुंच गया ,जो किसी भी व्यक्ति के लिए जानलेवा हो सकता है।

किसी Severe Diabetes के… pic.twitter.com/jhv5q1BXlA

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) April 3, 2024

Speaking to ANI, Delhi minister Gopal Rai said the party is worried about Kejriwal’s health. Reiterating Atishi’s remarks, he said the Delhi CM’s weight loss is a “cause of concern”.

#WATCH | On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Minster and party leader Gopal Rai says, "We are definitely concerned for his health. He is diabetic. ED arrested him on 21st March and after that, he has been losing weight. I hope the jail administration and doctors take good care of… pic.twitter.com/S4QNXBN71r

— ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2024

This is not the first time the AAP has flagged Kejriwal’s health problems.

Last week, an AAP leader on the condition of anonymity told Hindustan Times (HT), “CM Arvind Kejriwal’s sugar level is continuously fluctuating and has dropped to 46 mg/dL. Doctors say that it is very dangerous for sugar levels to go so low”.

Sunita Kejriwal , the Delhi CM’s wife and a former IRS officer, said at the time that her husband had diabetes, and his “sugar levels are irregular”, however, adding that his determination is strong.

Kejriwal was shifted to Tihar jail on Monday (1 April) after a court remanded him to judicial custody till 15 April. Before this, he was in ED custody following his arrest on 21 March.

What are authorities saying?

The Tihar jail officials have reportedly denied claims over the Delhi CM’s health.

Kejriwal reportedly weighed 65 kg when he was brought to the Delhi jail. This weight “remains unchanged”, sources in the high-security prison told NDTV.

The sources also said the Delhi CM’s sugar levels are “normal” now.

As per PTI, Kejriwal’s sugar level was low on Tuesday (2 April) morning. “He was under the watch of Tihar jail doctors as his sugar level kept fluctuating,” officials told the news agency.

The Delhi CM was provided medicines to control his blood sugar level. He has been given a sugar sensor to monitor his sugar levels, along with toffees to prevent any drop, jail officials said, according to NDTV.

Kejriwal is being served home-cooked food for lunch and dinner in the jail. A quick response team has also been stationed near his 14X8 feet cell in Tihar’s jail number 2 in case of any emergency, prison officials told NDTV.

According to an ED official, Kejriwal was taken care of while he was in the central probe agency’s custody.

“We assigned a team to monitor his health and his diet requirements. His sugar level was monitored daily and it was fine with the medical team. He was in good health. The custodial interrogation was also limited, based on the daily requirements of the investigation. We had kept everything he needed. There were candies and other food items as advised by the medical team,” a senior ED officer told News18.

Is there threat to Arvind Kejriwal’s life in Tihar?

According to a Times of India (TOI) report, some inmates in Tihar could try to “harm” Kejriwal for “fame”. Based on these inputs, guards at the prison are on alert.

The newspaper report also mentioned that in 2021 an inmate named Srikan Ramaswami, who was in Tihar’s jail number 2 where Kejriwal is currently locked up, was killed during a gang war in the prison complex.

Responding to the report about a threat to Kejriwal’s security inside the jail, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the AAP convenor’s life is “precious” for the country. “It should be ensured that his health remains alright,” he told PTI.

With inputs from agencies