Government appoints Piyush Goyal as interim finance minister as Arun Jaitley gets medical treatment

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The government has appointed Piyush Goyal as its interim finance minister as the current Finance Minister Arun Jaitley receives medical treatment, the president's office said in a statement.

Jaitley would not be presenting the government's interim budget next week, according to a source familiar with the matter. The government has not commented on Jaitley's medical condition.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who took charge of the finance ministry in Jaitley's absence when he was on medical leave for three months last year following kidney transplant surgery, will be presenting the budget, the source said.

Jaitley, a prominent member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inner circle, had gone to New York for a medical check-up earlier this month. He had a gastric bypass operation in 2014 to keep his diabetes in check.

The 66-year-old Jaitley is also the publicity head of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) election team and often speaks on behalf of the government.

(Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; Edited by Martin Howell)