‘What kind of joke’: AAP fumes as LG indicates ‘wilful low-calorie intake’ by Kejriwal

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday (July 20) slammed Lt Governor VK Saxena for apparently insinuating that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was “deliberately” making himself sick and accused the BJP of hatching a “sinister plan to kill” the AAP leader.

A communication from the LG office to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar on Friday said Saxena had expressed concern over the “non-consumption” of prescribed medical diet and medicines by Kejriwal lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody and asked officers to find out its reasons from him.

Jail report and LG’s letter

The communication, citing a report by Tihar Jail’s Superintendent (Prison) regarding the health status of Kejriwal, noted that it brings out the fact that there are several instances of “wilful low-calorie intake” by the chief minister, despite sufficient home-cooked food being provided to him.

The report also claimed that Kejriwal refused to take insulin before dinner on July 7.

The LG office said Saxena has suggested to the prison authorities that it may advise the CM to adhere to the prescribed dosage of medicine and insulin, apart from the diet specified, since he has a history of Type-II Diabetes Mellitus.

“The report also suggests loss of weight (now 61.5 kg which earlier was 63.5 Kg on the date of surrender, June 2). Prima facie, it appears to be due to less calorie intake,” the letter read.

Sanjay Singh’s barb

The letter further intensified the political spat on the issue of Kejriwal’s health in jail. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh slammed the LG in a post expressing his disappointment on the claim.

“What kind of joke is this LG Sir? Would a man reduce his sugar levels at night? Which is very dangerous. LG Sir, if you do not know about the disease then you should not write such a letter,” Singh said.

The AAP in a statement alleged that the “BJP [was] hatching a sinister plan to kill Kejriwal”. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva hit back at AAP, claiming that the report of the Tihar jail superintendent had “exposed” Kejriwal’s “conspiracy” to gain “sympathy” by “deliberately” taking fewer calories of food and declining insulin to claim weight loss and high blood sugar level in jail.

Risk of coma, stroke: Atishi

Senior AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi claimed Kejriwal’s sugar level has dipped below 50 mg/dL more than eight times, in jail and added, “He may go into a coma and there is also a risk of brain stroke in such a situation.”

Atishi also attacked the LG saying the communication from his office is “very unfortunate” and does not befit a constitutional head of state.

“Does LG think that any person will deliberately make himself sick like this? This is a conspiracy of the Bharatiya Janata Party. They know that the longer he stays in jail, the more his health will keep deteriorating. So, I would like to request LG Sahab that it does not suit him to make such comments on anyone’s health,” she said.

BJP's claim

The Delhi BJP president alleged that Kejriwal had reduced his food intake from June 6 to July 13 to shed weight so that he could gain sympathy from the court and get bail.

“He campaigned hectically for 21 days after getting bail from the court, during Lok Sabha polls, and he had no health problems then. But now he is trying to gain sympathy on the pretext of his health condition,” Sachdeva charged.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam, on March 21 and has been granted bail by the Supreme Court. However, he is currently lodged in Tihar in a connected CBI case.

(With agency inputs)