Former finance minister Arun Jaitley remains critical; several ministers to visit him at AIIMS on Saturday

The senior BJP leader has been put on life support, sources told Zee News.

NEW DELHI: A string of senior political leaders Friday visited former finance minister Arun Jaitley who continued to remain in a critical condition and is currently on life support at All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) Delhi. His heart and lungs are not functioning normally, sources told Zee News. 

President Ram Nath Kovind, Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and several other Union ministers visited AIIMS to inquire about Jaitley's health throughout Friday.  Several other ministers will visit him at the hospital around 10 am, sources added.

The 66-year-old was admitted to the country's premier hospital after he complained of weakness and palpitation on August 9 and has since been undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU). According to an earlier medical bulletin by AIIMS, the former minister is under the supervision of a team comprising multidisciplinary doctors, adding that “he is haemodynamically stable”. The hospital has not issued any medical bulletin on Jaitley's health after August 9. 

Leaders from several parties took to social media, expressing concern on Jaitley's health. 

"My thoughts and prayers with @arunjaitley who is in critical condition.  Hoping for a speedy recovery," tweeted Congress' Abhishek Singhvi.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Manjinder S Sirsa tweeted, "I am at a loss of words. @arunjaitley  Ji has been my mentor and strongest supporter of justice for 1984 Sikh Genocide victims. Millions like me are praying for his well-being and good health." 

Jaitley, who held several important portfolios in Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi governments, has not been keeping well for some time. He did not even contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election citing health reasons. In February, Piyush Goyal had to present the interim budget as Jaitley was in the US for treatment.

After NDA government retained power after the Lok Sabha elections, Jaitley wrote to Prime Minister Modi, saying he would not take up any responsibility/portfolio in the government due to his deteriorating health condition.