LK Advani, BJP leaders visit 'critical' Arun Jaitley

NEW DELHI: Former finance minister Arun Jaitley continued to be on life support at AIIMS in the national capital. Several leaders, including BJP stalwart L.K. Advani, Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, UP governor Anandiben Patel and Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi visited the hospital on Monday to enquire about his health.

Union ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Thaawarchand Gehlot, BJP national general-secretary Arun Singh and party MP Maneka Gandhi also visited the hospital to enquire about Mr Jaitley’s health.

Mr Jaitley, 66, was admitted to the AIIMS on August 9 after he complained of breathlessness and restlessness. According to AIIMS sources, he is on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support. A multidisciplinary team of doctors is consistently monitoring his condition. The AIIMS has not issued any bulletin on Mr Jaitley’s health condition since August 10.

BJP leader Mr Advani was accompanied by his daughter Pratibha Advani. Several prominent leaders, including Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Jitendra Singh and Ram Vilas Paswan, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress’ Abhishek Singhvi and Jyotiraditya Scindia, BSP supremo Mayawati and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat have visited the hospital in recent days to enquire about Mr Jaitley’s health and meet his family members. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan had said on Friday, “Doctors at AIIMS are doing the best they can.”

President Ram Nath Kovind, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited AIIMS on Friday to check on the leader’s health.

Mr Jaitley, a lawyer by profession, had been an important part in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet in the BJP government’s first term.

He held the finance and defence portfolios, and often acted as the chief troubleshooter of the government.