Delhi LG says Arvind Kejriwal ‘willfully consumed low calories’ in jail, AAP wonders ‘if Saxena was a doctor’

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has alleged that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal may deliberately not be taking the medical diet and medicines prescribed to him, according to a Raj Niwas communication. Currently, the AAP supremo is lodged in Tihar jail in connection with the excise policy scam.

In a letter to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, the LG cited a Superintendent (Prison) report about Kejriwal's health, alleging multiple instances where the CM "willfully consumed low calories" despite having ample home-cooked food available to him.

Saxena recommended the prison authorities 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 letter said.

The Aam Aadmi Party has accused the BJP and the central government of conspiring to harm Kejriwal's health in jail, claiming he lost weight and his blood sugar levels dropped. The party further alleged that Kejriwal's blood sugar level fell to 50 mg/dL five times in one night, putting him at risk of slipping into a coma or suffering brain damage.

Kejriwal in jail: What LG's letter read?

- "The diet monitoring chart indicates that between June 6 and July 13, the CM did not fully consume the prescribed diet for all three meals of the day. The report also suggests loss of weight (now 61.5 kg which earlier was 63.5 Kg on the date of surrender - June 2, 2024). Prima facie, it appears to be due to less calorie intake," Saxena wrote in the letter.

- “On June 18, insulin appears to have not been administered to him or was not recorded by the prison authorities in the report. There are also significant variations between glucometer test reading and the continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) reading on most days. Kejriwal's glucometer reading prior to lunch was 104 mgl, while the CGMS reading done before lunch at 12.30 PM was 82 mgl on June 19.”

- “Glaring discrepancies between glucometer test readings and CGMS readings need to be verified by appropriate medical authorities. The CM did not consume the prescribed diet during all three meals on July 6. He was administered five units of insulin before breakfast, four units before lunch and two units before dinner.”

- "The prescribed diet was again not consumed on July 7 and on that day five units of insulin was administered before breakfast, four units before lunch and “insulin before dinner was refused by the CM,” the LG said, citing the prison report.

LG's letter on Kejriwal's health: How did AAP react?

Reacting to LG's letter, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj took a jibe at Saxena, saying he wasn't aware that “LG sahab was a doctor”. “As fas as I know, LG sahab used to work in a cement factory. I didn't know that he was a doctor too.”

On July 13, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh claimed that Arvind Kejriwal had lost 8.5 kg in jail, calling it a sign of “serious illness”. “The Chief Minister has lost weight from 70 to 61.5 kg since his arrest,” he had claimed.

(With inputs from agencies)