Former Finance Minister of India Arun Jaitley on Wednesday urged Narendra Modi, the PM-elect of India, not to include him in the new cabinet, citing health issues.
“I am writing to you formally to request you that I should be allowed a reasonable time to myself, my treatment and my health and therefore not be a part of any responsibility, for the present in the new government,” he said in a letter to Narendra Modi.
The former finance minister also tweeted a copy of his letter to Modi, a day before his oath ceremony on Thursday.
I have today written a letter to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, a copy of which I am releasing: pic.twitter.com/8GyVNDcpU7
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 29, 2019
He said after the national election campaign, when Modi was leaving for the Kedarnath shrine, he had “orally informed you that even though I was able to discharge the responsibilities assigned to me during the campaign, I would in future, for some time, like to keep away from any responsibility. This will enable me to concentrate on my treatment and health.”
The senior BJP leader signed off by saying he would “obviously” have a lot of time to take up any work “informally” to support the government or the party.
