A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused the Tihar jail administration of denying him insulin, Tihar Jail Director General (Prison), Sanjay Beniwal said there were over 900-1000 inmates with diabetes in the jail and Kejriwal was like any other inmate.
Beniwal also rubbished the Chief Minister's claim that the Tihar jail administration was issuing a false statement about his diabetic condition under political pressure. "For me, these are not issues and I do not enter into debates about political interference," Beniwal told ANI.
Beniwal also responded to Kejriwal's weight loss allegations, stating he was "living a normal life, as every other inmate."
"There is a fixed time for giving food and through a court order, he gets home food. A delay of 5 to 7 minutes is bound to happen until the food reaches every inmate. Around 900-1000 inmates have diabetes and we have to manage them every day," Beniwal said.
#WATCH | On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's health, Tihar Jail Director General (Prison), Sanjay Beniwal says, "...There is a fixed time for giving food and through a court order, he gets home food. If it takes 5 to 7 minutes till the time it reaches him after checking, it is bound to… pic.twitter.com/JexXYKhLwP
— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2024
On Kejriwal's letter to the jail superintendent, he said everyone had issues here, both "real and perceived."
"Over 20,000 people live here. We have to arrange for their redressal as well. Every jail has a visiting judge, who monitors all the health needs. They also listen to the inmate's grievances as well," Beniwal told ANI.
Beniwal also defended the report submitted by the Tihar Jail administration to Delhi LG VK Saxena. "The LG is our executive head. He seeks our report on issues, not just this but on other issues as well. There is nothing new or unnatural about it. We have replied to the queries raised," he added.
He added that the Prison authorities will follow the instructions of the court. "Whatever allegations AAP is making, we have answered them very well in court," Mr Beniwal said, snubbing reports about "slow poison can be given in jail". "Do you think this is possible?" Mr Beniwal added.
The 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.
This comes as a city court directed the AIIMS to constitute a medical board to examine Kejriwal to determine whether he needs insulin to control his blood sugar levels. It said the home-cooked food that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener was consuming was different from the diet chart prepared by his doctor.
The chief minister had alleged he was not being administered insulin in jail leading to an "alarming" rise in his blood sugar levels.
