The Bhim Army claimed on Saturday that its jailed chief Chandrashekhar Azad was unwell and needed immediate medical care. A senior jail official, however, denied the claim, saying Azad was “absolutely fine” and no such issue had come to their notice during routine medical check-ups by the official jail doctor.

Chandrashekhar Azad’s personal doctor Harjeet Singh Bhatti claimed that the Bhim Army chief suffers from a disease that requires biweekly phlebotomy, a “procedure to remove extra red blood cells from the blood to treat certain blood disorders”.

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I am writing this as a physician of @BhimArmyChief Chandrashekar Bhai. He is suffering from a disease which requires biweekly phlebotomy from AIIMS, New Delhi under Haematology Department from where he is under treatment from last 1 years (1/n) pic.twitter.com/ReO6Pmphfi

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— Harjit Singh Bhatti (@DrHarjitBhatti) January 3, 2020

Bhim Army spokesperson Kush Ambedkarwadi, who had met the jailed chief on Friday, said Azad has been undergoing treatment for the disease for the past one-and-a-half year and that he had told authorities at the Tihar Jail, where he is currently lodged, about it.

This is inhuman and clear violation of human rights. Everyone have right to access medical care. I request @DelhiPolice & @AmitShah to bring him to AIIMS, get him admitted and let him get his treatment otherwise you will be responsible for any untoward incident. (3/n)

— Harjit Singh Bhatti (@DrHarjitBhatti) January 3, 2020

The last session of phlebotomy was scheduled a week ago. Chandrashekhar Azad has been complaining of headaches, dizziness, pain in the abdomen, the doctor claimed.

“If Azad doesn’t get immediate medical care, his blood might get thicker and he may suffer a cardiac arrest. The jail authorities are not allowing him to visit AIIMS,” he said.

“This is an inhuman and clear violation of human rights. I request Delhi Police and (Home Minister) Amit Shah to get him admitted to AIIMS,” he posted on Twitter.

The jail authorities, however, said Azad was “absolutely fine” and medical assistance will be provided to him if the need arises. The Delhi Police arrested Chandrashekhar Aazad on December 21, a day after his party organised a march from Jama Masjid to Jantar Mantar to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens.