Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is suffering from a kidney ailment and may have to undergo a surgery.

As per media reports, Jaitley is undergoing diagnostic tests and doctors have so far indicated that it was a kidney-related ailment.

The Finance Minister, however, has not yet been hospitalised but has been advised to avoid going out in public for fear of infection.

He has not been attending office since Monday and even skipped taking oath after being re-elected as Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh.

As per media reports, Jaitley’s present condition may be a fallout of the bariatric surgery he had undergone soon after the BJP government came to power at the Centre in 2014.

Doctors from AIIMS are attending to Jaitley at his residence now. A final call is yet to be taken on whether a kidney transplant is required or not, said media reports.

Depending on doctors advice, he may be admitted to the Cardio-Neuro Tower at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The centre is housed in a separate building and is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment.

Though he has not been attending office since Monday, he is clearing files from his residence, they said.

The minister, who suffers from chronic diabetes, had heart surgery several years ago. He is a key member of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet and presented his fifth and the present NDA government’s final full budget on February 1.

The Budget was last month approved by the Lok Sabha without a discussion and it is not listed to be taken up in Rajya Sabha before the current session of Parliament ends tomorrow, thereby not requiring his presence for a reply.

Kejriwal wishes speedy recovery

Days after apologising to Arun Jaitley for charges of corruption hurled against him, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday wished “speedy recovery” to the Finance Minister who reportedly will be going abroad for medical treatment.

Sharing a news article on Jaitley’s ill health, Kejriwal tweeted: “We wish a speedy recovery to Sh Arun Jaitley ji.”

In December 2016, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had undergone a kidney transplant at AIIMS.

In February 2018, Manohar Parrikar, the Chief Minister of Goa and a former Defence Minister in the PM Modi-led government, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is currently undergoing treatment in the United States.

(With agency inputs)