Kejriwal accuses ED of ‘politicising’ his food before court, seeks access to insulin in jail

Aam Aadmi Party national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told a Delhi court that the Enforcement Directorate was being “petty” and accused the agency of “politicising” what he ate in prison

Aam Aadmi Party national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on April 19 told a Delhi court that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was being “petty” and accused the agency of “politicising” what he ate in prison. Mr. Kejriwal’s statements came a day after the federal agency claimed that the Delhi CM, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail, is eating foods high in sugar despite having Type 2 diabetes, to raise his blood sugar level and create grounds for medical bail.

The Delhi CM on Thursday withdrew a plea seeking consultation with his doctor thrice a week regarding his fluctuating sugar levels and moved a fresh plea on Friday seeking 15-minute daily consultations with his physician and access to insulin. The court will pronounce its order on April 22. Mr. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case.

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“ED claimed that I want to increase my blood sugar levels to get bail. Am I going to risk paralysis to get bail? Whatever food I have is as per the diet chart prepared by my doctor prior to arrest,” the AAP chief’s counsel senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi told the court.

Mr. Singhvi told the court that there were only a few occasions when his client had deviated from his prescribed diet.

“The allegation is that I have been consuming mangoes... Out of 48 meals sent from home, only three times mangoes were there,” Mr. Singhvi said. Regarding claims that his client was consuming sugar and aloo-puri, Mr. Sanghvi said the AAP chief mixed an artificial sweetener in his tea. “How petty, political and ridiculous can the ED be? Their statements are completely false and malicious. Just because you have a lot of influence in the media, you are able to publish that I am having aloo-puri even though this meal was sent only once during puja.”

The ED opposed Mr. Singhvi’s submissions, claiming that the food Mr. Kejriwal was consuming was not in accordance with the diet chart prescribed by his doctor and that Tihar Jail was well-equipped to deal with his dietary requirements. Tihar Jail authorities also submitted a report before the court indicating that the home-cooked meals consumed by the Delhi CM were not in compliance with the prescribed diet.