Kejriwal has been asking for insulin daily: AAP sources cite CM's letter to Tihar superintendent

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Tihar jail superintendent on Monday claiming he has been asking for insulin daily amid spike in sugar levels, according to AAP sources. The sources said Kejriwal has also rejected the jail authorities' claim that AIIMS doctors have said there was no reason to worry about the chief minister's health condition.

In the letter written to the superintendent on Monday, he accused the jail administration of "lying" under "political pressure", the sources said. There was no immediate reaction from Tihar jail authorities. In a statement on Sunday, the Tihar administration had said they had arranged a video conference of Kejriwal on April 20 with senior specialists from AIIMS during which neither "the issue of insulin was raised by Kejriwal, nor was it suggested by the doctors". The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the Tihar administration of denying insulin to Kejriwal, who suffers from diabetes. The party has also alleged a "conspiracy" to "kill" him.

"Kejriwal wrote to Tihar jail superintendent saying he was hurt after reading the statement from jail authorities in newspapers," a party source said. "In the letter, he said the statements of Tihar administration are false and said he has been asking for insulin on a daily basis. During the day, his sugar levels see a spike thrice and read anywhere between 250 to 320," said a source from AAP.

In the letter, he also said that AIIMS doctors had not said that there was no cause of worry. "The doctors had said that they will assess the situation based on the history and data of Kejriwal's condition," added the source. The Tihar administration, in the statement on Sunday, said appropriate senior specialists from AIIMS provided consultation to Kejriwal during the video call on April 20. "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 had said. The video conference was organised by the Tihar Jail administration on a request by the chief minister's wife Sunita Kejriwal. Apart from a senior specialist from the hospital, medical officers of the Tihar jail were also on the call. The AIIMS specialist was provided with a complete record of CGM (Glucose Monitoring Sensor) and the details of diet and medicines being taken by Kejriwal, the official said. "Neither the issue of insulin was raised by Kejriwal, nor was it suggested by the doctors," the official added. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the Delhi government's now-scrapped excise policy. He is lodged in Tihar jail since April 1.