Don't include me in new cabinet, Jaitley tells Modi

New Delhi: Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to include him in the new cabinet, citing his health issues.

"During the last 18 months, I have had some serious health challenges. My doctors have enabled me to emerge out of most of them," Jaitley said in a letter to Modi.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said he had already communicated his request to Modi before he left for Kedarnath.

"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.

Jaitley said that even though he was able to discharge the responsibilities assigned to him during the Lok Sabha election 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.

"I would obviously have a lot of time at my disposal to undertake any work informally to support the government or the party," he added.