Making a public appearance in weeks, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley took oath on Sunday as a Rajya Sabha member for a new six-year term.
Mr. Jaitley, who has been working from the controlled environment of his home after being diagnosed with a kidney-related issue, was administered the oath of office in the Rajya Sabha Chairperson M. Venkaiah Naidu’s chambers.
Elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh last month, this special swearing-in ceremony was done because of the Finance Minister’s health condition. “Took oath of office as Rajya Sabha Member representing Uttar Pradesh, April 15, 2018,” Mr. Jaitley tweeted soon after the ceremony.
Leaders present
Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad too was present. Union Ministers who attended the ceremony included Ananth Kumar (Parliamentary Affairs), his deputy, Vijay Goel, Ravi Shankar Prasad (Law), Prakash Javadekar (HRD), Piyush Goyal (Railways), Hardeep S. Puri (Urban Development), and Shiv Pratap Shukla, the Junior Minister in the Finance Ministry.
Mr. Jaitley had been reappointed as Leader of the Rajya Sabha following his election from Uttar Pradesh but could not be sworn in because of ill-health.
The Finance Minister had stopped attending office in North Block since April 2. Cancelling his scheduled overseas trips, Mr. Jaitley tweeted to confirm his illness.“I am being treated for kidney related problems & certain infections that I have contracted. I am therefore currently working from controlled environment at home. The future course of my treatment would be determined by the doctors treating me.”
Though there were reports that Mr. Jaitley would undergo a kidney transplant, he underwent dialysis at AIIMS on April 9 and has been working from his home.
