NEW DELHI: A day after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal surrendered at Tihar jail as as his interim bail ended, The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday claimed that he was not provided with cooler in his cell despite the soaring temperatures in Delhi. His party leaders also claimed that his weight was measured thrice using different machines in a “conspiracy” on the behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).However, Tihar jail authorities refuted these claims.
In a press conference, senior AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi claimed that Kejriwal’s weight was measured with three weighing machines during his medical examination in Tihar on Sunday. She also claimed that at a time when temperature in Delhi is ranging from 48 degrees to 50 degrees, Kejriwal was kept in a cell where not even a cooler was provided.
“Coolers are provided to even notorious criminals lodged in Tihar. While the popular Chief Minister Kejriwal has not been given the cooler. I want to ask the BJP and the LG how low will they stoop,” she said.
Hitting out at the BJP Atishi said, “After he surrendered as a law abiding citizen, he has been kept in a heated cell without a cooler. I want to say to the BJP and the prime minister that not even the people of Delhi but the god also will not forgive them for causing atrocities to Kejriwal.”
AAP leader Sanjay Singh also reiterated the charge that three machines were used to weigh Kejriwal in jail, showing different readings, and asked the LG to get the machine fixed. “In the jail, Arvind Kejriwal’s weight was measured thrice with different machines, one showed 61 kg, the second 64 kg, the third 66.5 kg. Whereas when he was weighed at home before leaving, it was 63 kg. What kind of joke is this? LG sahab, please get the machine fixed,” he said in his post.
The Tihar jail officials, however, refuted the AAP leaders claims and said that Kejriwal’s weight was taken with only one machine.
“The weight of Kejriwal is 63.5 kilogram, which was measured only once when he surrendered on Sunday. There was no problem with the weighing machine. His other vitals, including blood pressure and sugar, are normal,” a senior Tihar jail officer told news agency PTI.
“Kejriwal is given the insulin twice a day and is under a regular watch of two doctors in the prisons,” the officer said.
On the allegation of not providing a cooler, the official stated that it is only provided to those inmates, who are unwell and the court orders the authorities to do so.