Centre conspiring against elected CM, says AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj amid row over Arvind Kejriwal's diabetes treatment

Apr 21, 2024

New Delhi [India], April 21 : Amid the ongoing row over Arvind Kejriwal's diabetes treatment in Tihar Jail, Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday accused the central government of conspiring to to kill an elected Chief Minister.
Bharadwaj said that a letter from the DG of Tihar jail to AIIMS requesting a diabetaologist contradicted BJP's claims of adequate medical facilities.
Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj said, "Today, I am going to show you evidence... Not only in India but many of the international media are witnessing how a central government can conspire to kill an elected CM (Delhi CM Arvind Kejeiwal). They are saying that they have all the specialists, all the doctors..."
Showing a letter to the media, he said, "The DG of Tihar jail yesterday wrote to AIIMS that they need a diabetologist. Today, the BJP government has been exposed in front of everyone. Till yesterday, they were saying that they have all specialists. Everything is available in the jail... There is a hospital, clinic, beds, and insulin... Everything is there and Arvind Kejriwal is lying."
He further said, "For the past 20 days, Arvind Kejriwal has been with them... He is diabetic. He is saying to meet a diabetologist, he is asking for insulin. A normal doctor, I don't know how he is there in jail, on his recommendations all these manipulations are being done and the elected CM of Delhi is being denied insulin."
Taking to his official X handle, the AAP leader posted a picture of the letter written by DG of Tihar jail to AIIMS and tweeted, "Exposure! There was no diabetes specialist in the jail. After 20 days, a doctor from AIIMS was asked for yesterday. For so many days, Arvind Kejriwal has been saying that take me to a diabetes specialist and give me insulin. Till now the BJP government at the Centre was saying that there are specialists in the jail; what is the need for specialists from outside?"
Earlier also, Bharadwaj alleged that a conspiracy is being hatched to kill Kejriwal. He said that the Delhi CM, who is diabetic, is "slowly being pushed towards death" by denying doctor consultation or insulin.
"Arvind Kejriwal has been suffering from diabetes for 20-22 years. He has been on insulin for 12 years. Once a patient goes on insulin, his sugar can be controlled only with insulin," he told ANI.
"Why is the jail administration not giving him insulin? Isn't a conspiracy being hatched to kill Arvind Kejriwal? To slowly push him towards death?" he said.
Bharadwaj's colleague, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh also had alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched to kill Delhi Chief Minister.
"Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is not being given insulin. If a patient with diabetes is not given insulin on time, for that person, it becomes a question of life or death. A conspiracy is being hatched to kill him (Arvind Kejriwal). The people of Delhi will give a reply to this crime," Sanjay Singh told reporters on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Tihar Jail Administration had yesterday submitted a report to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor regarding the health status of Kejriwal, who has been lodged in Tihar jail since April 1 this year.
According to the report, Kejriwal was on insulin for diabetes control. The report also called it "incorrect" to say that the Chief Minister was being denied insulin by jail authorities.
Earlier on Friday, Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court reserved order on a plea moved by Kejriwal seeking direction to Tihar jail authorities to administer insulin and allow him to consult doctors through video conferencing daily for 15 minutes with respect to his acute diabetes and fluctuating blood sugar level.
Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the ED about the Delhi Excise Policy case. The trial court, on April 15, extended the judicial custody of Arvind Kejriwal until April 23.
The ED alleged that the Aam Adami Party is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam.