Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal stopped taking insulin months before arrest, claim Tihar officials

Jailed Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had allegedly stopped taking insulin shots months before his arrest in the Delhi excise policy case, Tihar jail officials said in a report submitted to L-G VK Saxena.

They further claimed in this report that Kejriwal is on a basic anti-diabetes oral medicine. On April 18, L-G Saxena asked Director General of Prisons to submit a report on AAP's allegations that Arvind Kejriwal was being denied insulin inside jail. 

The report stated Delhi CM's health was reviewed on April 10 and 15 by a medicine specialist who advised oral-diabetic drugs to the jailed AAP convenor. It further noted that it is "incorrect to state that Kejriwal was denied insulin at any point of time" during his treatment. 

Citing adequate availability of insulin in dispensary, Tihar jail officials said it can be administered to Arvind Kejriwal "as and when required", news agency PTI reported. Tihar report, however, said that under the care of a Telangana-based private doctor for diabetes, Kejriwal stopped taking insulin a few months ago, and at the time of his arrest, he was on a basic anti-diabetes oral drug called Metformin. 

It further said Kejriwal told jail doctors during his medical check-ups that he had been taking insulin "since the last few years and stopped taking it a few months back." Citing Delhi CM's medical records from RML Hospital, the report noted that Kejriwal was "neither advised any insulin nor any requirement of any insulin was indicated."

Moreover, 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 on a regular basis", 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.

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. 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.

(With PTI inputs)