On Tuesday, Arvind Kejriwal was administered insulin for the first time in Tihar Jail after his blood sugar levels reached 320. The Delhi Chief Minister has accused prison authorities of “denying” him insulin despite repeated requests. This is the first insulin dose Kejriwal has received since his arrest on March 21st by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.
Sources revealed that Kejriwal’s sugar levels have been steadily rising. To regulate his blood sugar levels, it was decided to provide him with insulin injections. On Monday, Kejriwal stated that he had been requesting insulin daily as a Type-2 diabetic patient with high blood sugar levels. He dismissed assurances from AIIMS doctors that his health was fine and that there were no serious concerns.
A Delhi court instructed AIIMS to form a medical board on Monday to evaluate Kejriwal’s medical needs, particularly regarding insulin. The court emphasized discrepancies between Kejriwal’s home-cooked food diet and the diet prescribed by doctors.
Earlier, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Kejriwal, accused the Tihar Jail administration of a “conspiracy” to “kill” him by denying him insulin. On April 19th, the jail authorities submitted a report to Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, stating that Kejriwal’s health had been examined by a medicine specialist on April 10th and 15th, who recommended oral anti-diabetic drugs. The letter also stated that it was “incorrect to claim that Kejriwal was denied insulin at any point” during his treatment.
In response to questions about why the letter was sent to Delhi LG, Tihar Jail Director General (Prison), Sanjay Beniwal, said, “The LG is our executive head, and not only on this issue but also on others. He seeks reports from us on various matters. There is nothing new or unusual about this. We have responded to the queries raised and submitted them to the court as well.”
Beniwal addressed reports of Kejriwal losing weight, saying, “The Delhi CM is living a normal life, like every other inmate.”
He further explained that there are set times for providing food, and that as per a court order, Kejriwal is allowed to receive home food. “There may be a 5-7 minute delay before it reaches him after being checked. This is unavoidable. Approximately 900-1000 inmates have diabetes… I manage these patients on a daily basis. For me, these are not issues, but if people choose to raise them for political reasons, I will not engage in that,” he said.
Atishi, a Delhi minister and AAP leader, stated that Kejriwal has been a diabetic patient for the past 30 years.
