AAP leaders have said Satyendar Jain received physiotherapy
In a new twist to the row over viral videos of Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain receiving massages in jail, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s claim that these were "physiotherapy sessions" has been demolished by sources who say the "masseur" in the video is a prisoner, accused of raping his own daughter.
Flagging the new reveal, the BJP demanded an apology from Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and said Satyendar Jain shouldn't retain his post as a minister "for a minute more".
The man giving the AAP minister a massage in the security videos is Rinku, a prisoner charged with rape under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) law, according to official sources at Tihar Jail. He was arrested last year after his daughter, a class 10 student, accused him of assaulting her.
The CCTV videos, dated September 13, 14 and 21, are the subject of a fierce row between the AAP and the BJP in the run-up to the Delhi civic elections next month.
The videos surfaced days after the Enforcement Directorate accused Mr Jain, who was arrested in a money laundering case, of getting special treatment inside Tihar Jail. The "VIP treatment" allegation led to the transfer of at least 12 Tihar jail officials besides the Director General (prisons), Sandeep Goel.
Mr Jain was seen getting massages and chatting with people sitting in his cell, which is not allowed in prison. Neither are physiotherapy sessions allowed in a prisoner's cell, said officials.
As the videos went viral, bolstering the BJP's demand to move the minister out of Tihar Jail, AAP leaders claimed Mr Jain was receiving physiotherapy for a spinal injury.
AAP has not commented so far on the controversial revelation.
"Satyendar Jain should not remain a minister for a minute more. If Arvind Kejriwal is too weak to dismiss Satyendar Jain, then he should resign as Chief Minister. He should apologise to the nation," said the BJP's Gaurav Bhatia.
BJP leaders also put out tweets targeting AAP.
Even on Monday, Arvind Kejriwal strongly refuted the BJP's allegation of VIP treatment to his minister, sticking to the "physiotherapy, not massage" argument.
"They are calling it a massage and VIP treatment, but it's merely physiotherapy," Mr Kejriwal told reporters on the sidelines of his campaign in Gujarat's Vadodra.
Mr Jain has been in jail since June. A Delhi court denied his bail request last week.