Lucknow, Jan 6 (IANS): The Bhim Army has demanded the immediate release of its president Chandrashekhar from jail on medical grounds. The BJP, meanwhile, has slammed Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for tweeting in support of Chandrashekhar.

The Bhim Army chief's physician (Dr) Harjit Singh Bhatti has claimed that he is suffering from a disease which requires biweekly phlebotomy, a 'procedure to remove extra red blood cells to treat certain blood disorders'.

The doctor has requested that Chandrashekhar be admitted to the AIIMS for treatment without which he may suffer a sudden cardiac arrest.

The Bhim Army chief is lodged in Tihar jail after he led a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Delhi.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra came out in support of Chandra Shekhar and demanded that he should be given immediate medical attention and shifted to a hospital.

The UP BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said, "It is the jail administration that needs to decide on the health condition of Chandrashekhar. However, instead of expressing concern on his health, Priyanka should condemn the death of infants at Kota government hospital. It is because the Congress government is in power in Rajasthan that she has chosen not to react on this issue. This is hypocrisy."

Responding to the BJP, UP Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh said, "Chandra Shekhar has not done any heinous crime. Therefore, if he has serious health issues then he should be shifted to AIIMS. Our government has never done politics on the death of children. Our government in Rajasthan is doing its best to provide better medical facilities. The main issue in the country is growing unemployment and economic slowdown but the BJP is once again trying to divert the attention of people."