 "Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita, who was first denied permission, will now meet in him in Tihar jail on Monday. File photo/PTI")
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has been languishing in Tihar jail for almost a month. His wife will visit him today. However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had earlier claimed Sunita Kejriwal was not allowed to meet him. According to sources inside the Tihar jail, the denial of permission was because of a violation of the jail manual.
The prison administration denied permission to Mrs Kejriwal because of the earlier visits of Delhi minister Atishi and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann. According to the rules, an inmate is only allowed two visitors every week, reports news agency PTI.
The AAP, on the other hand, claimed that the jail authorities refused Sunita’s request to meet Kejriwal due to pressure from the Centre.
Here’s what we know so far.
Permission for Atishi, Bhagwant Mann
Sunita was earlier denied permission to meet Kejriwal.
Tihar jail official sources said that the permission has been given to Delhi minister Atishi who had applied last week to meet Kejriwal on 29 April, while Sunita’s application was received earlier in the day.
“Sunita has been meeting Kejriwal and there is no question of denying permission to her. We have to follow protocols and preparations have already been made for the Atishi’s meeting,” said a Tihar jail source. However, AAP sources rejected the Tihar jail administration’s claim.
“The names of Sunita Kejriwal and Atishi were sent to the Tihar administration on 27 April for meeting the chief minister on Monday (29 April). The prison administration informed us just now that they would not allow Sunita Kejriwal to meet the CM on Monday. They will only allow Atishi,” a party functionary said.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts‘Inhumanity’
In a post on X, the party alleged, “At the behest of the Modi government, the Tihar jail administration cancelled Sunita Kejriwal’s meeting with her husband Arvind Kejriwal. The Modi government is crossing all limits of inhumanity.”
“An elected chief minister is being treated like a terrorist. The Modi government should tell the people of the country as to why it is not allowing Sunita Kejriwal ji to meet her husband Arvind Kejriwal ji?” it said.
Atishi is also scheduled to meet Kejriwal on Monday, while Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will do so on Tuesday.
Kejriwal was arrested on 21 March in connection with the excise policy-linked money laundering case. He is in judicial custody until 7 May.
As per the jail manual, an inmate can meet his visitors twice a week and two can meet at one time, another Tihar jail source said. “The token number and other formalities for Atishi have been finalised. Sunita can meet later,” the official source added.
The source also said security arrangements and protocol for Atishi and Bhagwant Mann, who are meeting Kejriwal on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, are different from other common visitors.
On Saturday, Sunita Kejriwal held her first roadshow in Delhi to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. The massive roadshow was held to support the AAP’s East Delhi candidate, reports NDTV. The party is contesting four of Delhi’s seven constituencies. The Congress will challenge the other three.
In Kejriwal’s absence, she is expected to lead the party’s campaign in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat.
With inputs from PTI