VIP FACILITIES VS PHYSIOTHERAPY: BJP, AAP TRADE BARBS OVER MIN’S JAIL VIDEO

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused jailed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Satyendar Jain of receiving “VIP treatment” in prison, after a video showed him purportedly getting a massage inside Tihar jail, claims that Delhi’s governing party rejected, arguing instead that the leader was being given physiotherapy for a spinal injury.

Separately, Jain moved a Delhi court, seeking contempt action against the Enforcement Directorate (ED), alleging that the antimoney laundering agency “leaked” the CCTV video. Special Judge Vikas Dhull issued a notice to the ED and fixed the matter for November 21 for hearing.

BJP leader and West Delhi MP Parvesh Singh Verma, meanwhile, along with party leaders Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Tajender Pal Singh Bagga filed a police complaint against Jain, accusing the minister of turning the jail into a “massage parlour”.

On Saturday, a six-minute video emerged on social media, which shows Jain purportedly receiving head, foot and back massages and speaking to visitors, seemingly on different days.

At a press conference on Saturday, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the video shows Jain getting VIP treatment, which should not be provided to a prisoner. “Why is this massage being provided to the prisoner? Why is Jain not in the jail uniform meant for prisoners? Why are so many people being allowed in the cell? The chief minister [Arvind Kejriwal] should answer,” he said.

The AAP hit back, with deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia calling the video a “breach of privacy” of an ill cabinet minister, and alleged that the video was leaked to influence voters ahead of the December 4 municipal corporation elections. “Jain fell in prison and suffered a spine injury. He was taken to hospital from jail and the doctors recommended routine physiotherapy after two operations, but BJP has made fun of Jain’s ailment by leaking a video of him receiving therapy”, he said.