Kejriwal being ‘tortured’ in Tihar Jail, kept in a hot cell without air cooler, says Atishi

Delhi Finance Minister accuses BJP of mistreating Chief Minister Kejriwal in jail, sparking controversy over facilities.

Delhi Finance Minister and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi on Monday said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was being “tortured” in Tihar Jail. “Upon his surrender, the Chief Minister has been kept in a room that does not even have a desert cooler,” the Minister said. She also alleged that the Chief Minister’s weight was taken thrice in jail as part of a “conspiracy”.

Attacking AAP, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said it was “shameful” that at a time when lakhs of city residents are suffering from acute water and power crisis, AAP is demanding a personal air cooler for Mr. Kejriwal.

“AAP leaders, including Kejriwal himself, have been crying over the lack of facilities in jail, believing that it will get them public sympathy. But, tomorrow’s election result, in which they will lose Delhi and Punjab, will teach them that they have, in fact, lost public sympathy due to such petty politics,” Mr. Kapoor added.

The Chief Minister returned to jail on Sunday on the expiry of his 21-day interim bail granted by the Supreme Court to campaign in the Lok Sabha election. 

Addressing a press conference, Ms. Atishi said, “I want to ask the BJP, how low will you stoop? You first oppose the interim bail plea of a person who has been suffering from diabetes for 30 years. When he surrenders, you keep him in a scorching hot cell.”

Atishi also alleged that during his medical examination on Sunday, his weight was taken on three machines that showed different readings.

“His weight was found to be 61 kg, after which the prison officials used another machine that showed his weight as 64 kg. The officials, still not satisfied with the reading, used a third machine that showed his weight to be 66.5 kg,” she said.