Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been rapidly losing weight since his arrest on March 21, senior AAP leader Atishi claimed on Wednesday and accused the BJP of putting his health at risk by keeping him in jail.
She said the Aam Aadmi Party will seek legal help over the chief minister's health condition. However, the administration of Tihar jail, where Kejriwal is lodged till April 15, said his weight has been constant since his judicial custody began. A senior Tihar jail official said the chief minister's vitals are normal.
In a statement, Tihar jail authorities said, "Upon arrival on April 1, Kejriwal was examined by two doctors and all vitals were normal. Also, his weight is constant at 65 Kg, since his arrival in jail and till date. Home-cooked food is being provided as per court order. His vital statistics are normal." Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy-linked money laundering case. He has been sent to judicial custody till April 15.
"Arvind Kejriwal ji is a severe diabetic. Despite health issues, he remained engaged 24 hours a day in the service of the country. Since his arrest, Kejriwal's weight has decreased by 4.5 kg. This is very worrying. The BJP is putting his health at risk by putting him in jail," she alleged in a post on X in Hindi.
If something happens to Arvind Kejriwal, not just the whole country, even God will not forgive them, she added.
Later, at a press conference, the Delhi minister said, "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." Alleging that Kejriwal has been put behind bars in a "false case", Atishi said they are closely monitoring his health condition.
"The whole country is watching. For a severely diabetic patient, if their sugar levels fall below 50 mg/dL, it is extremely worrying. While he was in ED custody, his sugar levels fell thrice, including one time when it came down to 46 mg/dL," she said. Atishi claimed that in the last 12 days, his weight has reduced by 4.5 kg, which poses a health risk.
Addressing a press conference, AAP MLA Dilip Pandey reiterated Atishi's claims and said it was on record that Kejriwal's weight has gone down to 65 kg from 69.5 kg. "He is a severe diabetic. Diabetes is not just one disease. It can also lead to other severe illnesses. In the last 12 days, his weight has gone down from 69.5 kg to 65 kg. This is on record. We want that there should not be any irresponsible behaviour regarding his health," he said.
When asked about Tihar authorities denying the claims about Kejriwal's health, he said, "He has been in Tihar for a couple of days. We are talking about the time since he has been arrested by the ED. In ED custody, his sugar levels went down, which was a severe health risk." The Delhi chief minister has been allowed to have home-cooked food in Tihar jail. On Tuesday morning, Kejriwal's sugar level was low. He was under the watch of Tihar jail doctors as his sugar level kept fluctuating, officials have said.
