'Constant at 65': Tihar Jail denies AAP claims on Arvind Kejriwal's health

Tihar Jail says that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has not lost weight since he arrived there on April 1

After the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday claimed that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lost 4.5 kg in jail and was unwell, the Tihar Jail authorities issued a statement refuting the claim and said the chief minister's weight remains unchanged at 65 kg.

Tihar Jail also provided Kejriwal's weight since his arrival on April 1, while AAP claimed that he had lost 4.5 kg since his arrest on March 21.

"On arrival on 01.04.2024, Arvind Kejriwal was examined by two doctors and all vitals were normal. Also, his weight is constant at 65 kg, since arrival to jail and till date. Home-cooked food is being provided as per Court order. His vital statistics are normal," the jail authorities said.

Earlier in the day, AAP leader and Delhi cabinet minister Atishi said that Kejriwal's health was at risk and he was rapidly losing weight since his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

 "Arvind Kejriwal ji is a severe diabetic. Despite health issues, he remained engaged 24 hours a day in the service of the country. Since his arrest, Kejriwal's weight has decreased by 4.5 kg. This is very worrying. The BJP is putting his health at risk by putting him in jail," Atishi wrote in a post in X.

"If something happens to Arvind Kejriwal, not just the whole country, even God will not forgive them," she added.

Later, she told a press conference that Kejriwal's sugar level is monitored several times during the day. Atishi claimed that since the "Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP]-led central government arrested him", the Delhi CM's "sugar levels fell thrice while he was in ED custody, even reaching 46 mg/dL [milligrams per deciliter] at one point, which can be deadly for any person".

She further said that the BJP could go to any extent to crush Kejriwal and the AAP. "I am warning the BJP that today, the entire country is keeping an eye on them and if anything happens to his health in custody, then this country will not forgive them".