Shah, others rush to AIIMS as Jaitley's condition becomes critical again

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited AIIMS on Friday to enquire about the health condition of former finance minister Arun Jaitley, who is stated to be "critical", sources said.

The President visited the hospital around noon, while Shah and Adityanath visited AIIMS around 11.15 pm. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey were present during their visits.

According to the sources, Jaitley, 66, is critical and a multidisciplinary team of doctors is supervising his treatment. He is admitted at the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU). The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has not issued any bulletin on Jaitley's health condition since August 10.

Jaitley was admitted on August 9 after he complained of breathlessness and restlessness. In May this year, Jaitley was admitted to AIIMS for treatment.

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. Jaitley did not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election because of his ill-health.

He had undergone a renal transplant on May 14 last year at AIIMS with Railways Minister Piyush Goyal filling in for him in the finance ministry at that time. Jaitley, who had stopped attending office since early April last year, was back in the finance ministry on August 23, 2018. In September 2014, he underwent bariatric surgery to correct the weight he had gained because of a long-standing diabetic condition.