New video of Jain in jail fuels BJP’S ouster calls
NEW DELHI: New videos emerged on Wednesday ostensibly showing Delhi minister Satyendar Jain eating food and being served in his jail cell, a day after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader told court he was not being provided with a special fasting diet as per prison rules that give such facility to prisoners for religious reasons.
The video is the second to be leaked from his cell in four days, and became the subject of a tussle between the state’s elected AAP government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which reiterated its demand for chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to sack Jain.
Noting that Jain has been receiving his salary and allowances for the nearly six months that he has been in prison, the BJP also demanded that lieutenant governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena take “necessary action” against the minister.
The video appears to show Jain eating a variety of food on different days, including some in which he is having raw fruits and vegetables, and some when he is having a prepared meal. A person is also seen bringing him food.
To be sure, the video stitches together events, according to timestamps, from September 13, October 1 and October 3, while Jain’s allegations in court relate to the special diet being stopped for the last two weeks. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. Jain has also contended that he lost 28kg in jail.
Addressing a press conference, Union minister and New Delhi MP
Meenakshi Lekhi on Wednesday said: “First Jain is not removed as a minister despite being in jail. Now there are people working for him and all facilities being provided... We don’t know how the system is operating, but they have arranged a luxury resort-like facility inside jail… We want people to see that the AAP, which is busy giving character certificates to others, is engaging in characterless actions.”
The AAP hit back, with deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia saying the BJP’S allegations were due to “a fear of losing in the upcoming civic elections, scheduled for December 4”.
“BJP is panicking due to the fear of losing the MCD elections and is defaming the Aam Aadmi Party by publicising fake videos everyday,” Sisodia said.
BJP legislator and leader of the opposition in the Delhi assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the AAP has lost its “morality and conscience”. “If a government employee spends 48 hours in police custody, then they are suspended from service. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who came to power promising an honest government, has lost his conscience and morality,” said Bidhuri.
“I have written to the Delhi LG, requesting him to take necessary action,” the MLA said.
To be sure, the LG can only recommend that a minister is removed by the CM.
On Jain’s plea, a Delhi court on Wednesday ordered Tihar jail authorities to ensure Jain is given the special diet he is entitled to under the rules, and sought a log of what food was served to him over the last six months.
The previous video, which emerged on Saturday, showed Jain getting massages over several days from a man who later turned out to be a prisoner accused of raping a minor.
Several Tihar officials, including the prison 7 superintendent and head warden, have been suspended over alleged special treatment being given to Jain, who was also the prisons minister until he was detained in connected with a money laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.