Tihar jail counters AAP amid insulin row, says ’Arvind Kejriwal was assured...’

Tihar jail authorities said on Sunday that a senior doctor from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) provided consultation to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal via video conferencing, reports claimed on Sunday.

The jail administration said this while responded to AAP leaders Saurav Bharadwaj's charge and added that appropriate senior specialists from AIIMS provided consultation to Kejriwal through video conference on Saturday.

"After a 40-minute detailed consultation, Kejriwal was assured that there was no serious concern and was advised to continue with the prescribed medicines, which will be evaluated and reviewed regularly," a jail official was quoted by PTI as saying.

Meanwhile, officials said that the consultation was provided to Kejriwal on Saturday following a request by the Chief Minister's wife Sunita Kejriwal. 

“The video conference was organised by the Tihar Jail administration on a request by Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal. Apart from a senior specialist from the hospital, medical officers of Tihar were also on the call,” PTI reported.

ALSO READ: ‘Dal-rice, jail mattress’: BRS' K Kavitha shares cell with two female inmates on Day-1 in Tihar

The jailed Chief Minister's complete record of the Glucose Monitoring Sensor, as well as details of his diet and medicines were checked during the consultation, the reported added.

"The insulin issue, however, was neither raised by Arvind Kejriwal nor suggested by the doctors during the video consultation," the Tihar Jail source was quoted as saying.

The Tihar Jail's statement came amid the row over the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders' claim that there was no Diabetes Specialist in the jail.

ALSO READ: ‘Question of life and death, conspiracy to kill Arvind Kejriwal in jail’: AAP MP Sanjay Singh on ‘denial’ of insulin

AAP leader Sanjay Singh claimed "insulin is not being given to Arvind Kejriwal. If a diabetes patient is not given insulin on time, it becomes a question of life and death for them".

He alleged that this "is a conspiracy to kill" Kejriwal. "I believe the people of Delhi will give a fitting response for this crime on May 25 by voting," Singh added.

Delhi minister Atishi claimed that Kejriwal' has been a diabetic patient for the last 30 years and "his sugar level has reached 300" on Sunday.

ALSO READ: Tihar jail refutes AAP's claim of Arvind Kejriwal losing 4.5 kgs

"Doctors will tell you that without insulin this cannot be controlled and if the Tihar jail administration denies providing insulin then Arvind Kejriwal’s life is in danger. Who will be responsible for this?” the Delhi Minister said.

Meanwhile, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “The report of Tihar jail is a bundle of lies... Firstly, the sugar has been measured randomly and whenever the sugar level has been low, only that record is there in the report. It's a conspiracy to kill Arvind Kejriwal.”

'Tihar demands diabetologist'

Bharadwaj alleged on Sunday that Tihar authorities have now requested a diabetologist from AIIMS in contradiction of their earlier stance of adequate medical facilities for diabetics being present in the prison.

"Yesterday (April 20), the director general (Prisons) wrote to AIIMS, asking for a diabetologist to be posted at Tihar. Kejriwal has been lodged at Tihar for nearly 20 days and they are asking for a diabetologist only now," Bharadwaj said at a press conference.

"On the one hand, the Tihar administration says they have medical facilities and then, they are writing to AIIMS, asking for a diabetologist," the AAP leader said.