Arun Jaitley leaves for US for health checkup

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has unexpectedly left for the US for a medical check up relating to his kidney ailment, sources said.

Jaitley, who had undergone a renal transplant surgery on May 14, 2018, had not travelled abroad in last nine months.

He was scheduled to attend 10th India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue in London in April last year, but had cancelled his visit due to his kidney ailment.

Sources said, he left for the US on Sunday night for a medical check up. Jaitley is to present his sixth and the BJP-led NDA government’s last budget on February 1.

Though it is supposed to be an interim Budget, it is widely expected that his speech would have been full length budget speech.

Jaitley was admitted to AIIMS last year in early April following which he underwent dialysis. He had a renal transplant surgery on May 14, 2018.

In his absence, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal was given the additional charge of Finance Ministry on May 14.

Jaitley, 66, who had stopped attending office at the beginning of April, and was back in North Block – the seat of Finance Ministry – on August 23.

Jaitley had in September 2014, undergone a bariatric surgery to treat weight gain that he suffered because of a long-standing diabetic condition.

That surgery was first performed at Max Hospital, but Jaitley was later shifted to AIIMS because of complications. He had a heart surgery several years ago.