Fact Check: Did Arvind Kejriwal Deliberately Lose Weight In Tihar Jail?

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has repeatedly alleged that Arvind Kejriwal lost weight while being lodged in Tihar Jail and blamed it on the authorities.

AAP leaders have even claimed that the Delhi chief minister, who is diabetic, can slip into coma and die.

In the latest ‘spat’ over the CM’s health condition, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) V K Saxena’s office said Kejriwal was “wilfully” not consuming the prescribed diet in jail and blaming “less calorie intake” for his weight loss.

The LG wrote to chief secretary Naresh Kumar about Kejriwal’s health and AAP’s claims on the basis of a report submitted by the superintendent (prison).

“The report brings out the fact that there are several instances of wilful low calorie intake by Hon’ble Chief Minister, despite sufficient home cooked food being provided to him. The diet monitoring chart indicates that between 6th June, 2024 and 13th July, 2024, the Hon’ble CM had not fully consumed the prescribed diet for all three meals of the day. The report also suggests loss of weight (now 61.5 kg which earlier was 63.5kg on the date of surrender-2 June, 2024). Prima facie, it appears to be due to less calorie intake,” the letter stated.

BJP’s Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva alleged that Kejriwal, who had received interim bail till June 2 to campaign for Lok Sabha elections, was reducing his food intake to lose weight and gain the court’s sympathy.

“During his entire bail period, Kejriwal was busy in campaigning for the party from morning to evening but two days before going to jail, he once again he claimed he was not well. The food comes from his house to jail but he does not eat, that is why he has lost two kilograms of weight. On June 7, he was required to take four units of insulin but he refused to take it. He wants to get bail on the basis of his health conditions. Only a mastermind criminal can manufacture such conspiracies,” Sachdeva said.

AAP hit back at the LG and BJP’s allegations by questioning why Kejriwal would put himself at risk when he suffers from type-2 diabetes.

“What kind of joke are you making LG Sir? Would a man reduce his sugar levels at night? Which is very dangerous. LG Sir, if you do not know about the disease then you should not write such a letter. God forbid such a time ever comes to you,” AAP MP Sanjay Singh wrote on X.

Delhi minister Atishi said the LG’s statement of LG is very unfortunate and does not befit a constitutional head of the state.

“Arvind Kejriwal has been suffering from diabetes for 30 years, very acute diabetes and when someone has serious diabetes, what is called hypoglycemia, falling sugar level is a very dangerous sign. Due to falling sugar levels, a person can go into a coma. Due to falling sugar levels, brain stroke can happen and permanent brain damage can happen,” Atishi said.

“Does LG think that any person will deliberately make himself sick like this? This is a conspiracy of the BJP. The BJP knew that Arvind Kejriwal would get bail from the Supreme Court which is why they forcefully got Arvind Kejriwal arrested by the CBI because they knew that his health is bad. They know that the longer he stays in jail, the more his health will keep deteriorating. So I would like to request LG that it does not suit him to make such comments on anyone’s health,” Atishi said in a statement.

Kejriwal was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in a money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy.

Following the expiry of interim bail period from May 10 to June 1, Kejriwal surrendered and was back in Tihar.

He was granted bail by a trial court on June 20, but the high court issued a stay on it. He was then arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on June 26.

On July 12, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal bail in the PMLA case, but the Delhi CM coculd not walk out of jail due to the arrest under CBI case.