Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, diagnosed with Type-2 Diabetes, received insulin treatment in Tihar Jail as his blood sugar level rose to 320, as per sources from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday. This development followed the Chief Minister’s denial of the prison administration’s recent health statement, claiming it to be false amidst the controversy surrounding the alleged denial of insulin. According to sources speaking to India Today TV, this marked the first instance of insulin being administered to the Chief Minister while in jail, given his elevated blood sugar levels, following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in connection to a money laundering case related to the Delhi liquor policy issue.
The leader of AAP is currently in judicial custody at Tihar Jail until April 23, when the next hearing will occur.
Confirming this development, a source from Tihar Jail informed India Today TV that on Monday evening, Kejriwal received two units of insulin after a doctor from AIIMS advised the prison administration to administer it if absolutely necessary.
When he was not in jail, the AAP chief used to take 50 units of insulin daily.
In a letter to the Superintendent of Tihar on Monday, Kejriwal mentioned that he had been requesting insulin as his glucose meter readings were in a “dangerous” range between 250 and 320.
He strongly stated that the jail administration was lying about his health due to “political pressure”.
Additionally, the Tihar Jail source mentioned that Arvind Kejriwal also met his wife Sunita on Monday within the prison premises.
On Saturday, the AAP supremo received a 40-minute consultation from doctors at AIIMS, during which they reassured him that there were no serious health concerns. The doctors advised him to continue taking the prescribed medicines, according to a prison source. The consultation was organized at the request of Kejriwal’s wife, and during the session, the doctors thoroughly examined his Glucose Monitoring Sensor records, as well as details of his diet and medications. Interestingly, neither Kejriwal nor the doctors mentioned the issue of insulin during the video consultation, as stated by the source. However, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that since the Chief Minister’s arrest, Kejriwal repeatedly mentioned that his blood sugar level exceeded 300 and he was not provided with insulin. Bharadwaj further alleged that there was a deliberate attempt to harm Kejriwal through conspiracies, exposing the BJP and the Central government. He added that after the court’s order, when the AIIMS specialist examined Kejriwal, insulin was finally provided.
The controversy surrounding insulin intensified when the Enforcement Directorate accused Kejriwal of regularly consuming mangoes, aloo puri, and sweets to deliberately increase his blood sugar levels and justify his need for medical bail.
In response, his legal representative refuted these claims by stating that Kejriwal had only eaten mangoes three times while in jail and had consumed aloo puri as a religious offering during Navratra.