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Former Union Minister Arun Jaitley was cremated with full state honours at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi on Sunday, 25 August. Earlier, the remains were kept at the BJP headquarters till 1:00 pm.
Apart from his family members, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minster Rajnath Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa were among the many leaders present at the funeral.
The 66-year-old leader, who passed away at AIIMS in Delhi on Saturday, had been hospitalised since 9 August.
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Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was admitted to AIIMS in Delhi on Friday, 9 August, after he complained of palpitations and restlessness, PTI reported, quoting hospital sources.
The 66-year-old was reportedly admitted to the Cardio-Neuro-Centre of the hospital around 10 am.
"He is under observation. A team of doctors including endocrinologists, cardiologists and nephrologists is monitoring his condition," one of the sources told PTI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey on late Friday evening visited Jaitley at the hospital to enquire about his health condition.
The AIIMS released a statement on Friday, saying Arun Jaitley’s health is haemodynamically stable.
"Arun Jaitley was admitted to AIIMS today morning. He is currently undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit under the supervision of a multidisciplinary team of doctors. At present, he is haemodynamically stable," the AIIMS said in a statement.
Several Union ministers including Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani and Jitendra Singh, and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal visited AIIMS in New Delhi on Sunday, 18 August to enquire about Jaitley’s health condition.
Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Himachal Pradesh Governor Kalraj Mishra, RSS Joint General Secretary Dr Krishna Gopal and former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh also visited the facility.
Among others who visited the hospital on Sunday to check on Jaitley's condition are: Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and his deputy Ashwini Kumar Choubey, BJP MPs Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Gautam Gambhir, and RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited AIIMS on Friday to check on the leader's health.
On Saturday also several politicians had visited the hospital.
Jaitley on Sunday evening was reported to be on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO).
Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley passes away at New Delhi’s AIIMS. According to the bulletin released by AIIMS, Jaitley passed away at 12.07 pm.
Home Minister Amit Shah has cut short his visit to Hyderabad, and is returning to Delhi following passing away of former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Congress party’s official Twitter handle expresses condolences over the death of former finance minister Arun Jaitley.
Union Minister Smriti Irani took to Twitter to condole the death of Arun Jaitley, calling him a stalwart who paid tribute to his simple beginnings and an orator par excellence.
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal took to Twitter to condole the death of Arun Jaitley, remembering ‘his seminal contributions to the polity and as the Finance Minister of India.’
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal called Arun Jaitley’s death a “huge loss to the nation.”
Home Minister Amit Shah calls Arun Jaitley’s death a “personal loss,” saying that he has lost a family member.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath took to Twitter to condole Arun Jaitley’s death, saying the loss will be felt for years to come.
PM Narendra Modi has spoken to Arun Jaitley’s wife and son, and expressed his condolences. Both of them insisted that PM does not cancel his current foreign tour.
PM Modi, who is currently in the UAE for his tri-nation tour condoled Jaitley’s death, calling him a political giant who had an “unbreakable bond” with the BJP.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took to Twitter to express anguish over the death of Arun Jaitley.
President Ram Nath Kovind took to Twitter to condole the death of Arun Jaitley, calling him “a brilliant lawyer, a seasoned parliamentarian and a distinguished Minister.”
French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler condoled the death of Arun Jaitley.
“On behalf of France, I offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Arun Jaitley ji. France stands with India and its people in this time of deep grief,” he said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he will leave for Delhi soon.
“He was an asset for the country, for the government, and for the party. I will leave for Delhi to pay tributes to Arun Jaitley Ji,” he said.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu called Arun Jaitley’s death an “irreparable personal loss.”
“His death is an irreparable loss for the country and personally to me also. I have no words to express my grief. He was a powerful intellectual, an able administrator and a man of impeccable integrity,” said Naidu
Former President Pranab Mukherjee said he was saddened by the death of Arun Jaitley and called him “a voice with a reason.”
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju took to Twitter to call Arun Jaitley’s death a personal loss.
Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi condoled the death of Arun Jaitley, saying his contributions will be remembered forever.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on expressed sadness over the demise of former Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, and said he was a politician who was “appreciated across parties”.
“Extremely saddened at the passing away of Arun Jaitley Ji, after a battle bravely borne. An outstanding Parliamentarian and a brilliant lawyer, appreciated across parties. His contribution to Indian polity will be remembered. My condolences to his wife, children, friends and admirers,” Banerjee said in a statement.
Attorney General KK Venugopal on Saturday termed the passing away of senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Arun Jaitley as a “big loss” for the country, his party and the legal fraternity.
“His death is not only a loss for the country but also the legal community and his political party. We all will be missing him and his memory will last for long future to come” he told PTI.
Expressing his grief over Jaitley’s death, Venugopal told PTI: "His death is not only a loss for the country but also the legal community and his political party." "We all will be missing him and his memory will last for long future to come (sic)," he added.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his condolence over the demise of Arun Jaitley.
BJP Working President, JP Nadda told the media that Arun Jaitley’s mortal remains will be taken to his residence today and the cremation will take place at Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat on Sunday.
“His mortal remains will be soon taken to his residence. Tomorrow, around 10 am, the mortal remains will be taken to BJP headquarters for people to pay their last respects. Post-afternoon, the cremation will be held a Nigambodh Ghat,” he said.
Former Union minister and MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday condoled the death of senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley and recalled the first time they had met as Delhi University students.
The death of former finance minister Arun Jaitley is a big loss for the nation, the government and the BJP, Union minister and former party president Nitin Gadkari said on Saturday.
“I have seen him closely when he started as a student leader of the Vidyarthi Parishad. He was one of the top lawyers in the country who possessed natural argumentative skills,” Gadkari told reporters.
He said Jaitley had contributed immensely towards the expansion of the BJP.
“I used to take his suggestions on various matters when I was BJP president. He was dedicated to the ideology of the party. His speeches in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will be remembered by the people. His death is a loss to the entire nation, the government and the party,” he said while paying tributes to Jaitley.
Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Saturday said with the demise of Arun Jaitley, the country has lost “an eminent senior advocate” and “a tall leader”.
“I am personally, deeply saddened by the passing of Arun Jaitley,” the CJI told PTI.
Justice Gogoi said on behalf of the country's judiciary, “I express my condolences to his family and pray for the noble soul to rest in peace.”
Stating that Jaitley’s demise is a great loss for India, FICCI President Sandip Somany said on Saturday that the country has lost a proud son, a patriot, a nationalist, and someone who was a firm believer in the tremendous economic potential our country had to offer.
Mortal remains of former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley were brought to his residence from All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, where he passed away, earlier today.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah pays tribute to Arun Jaitley, who passed away at All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, earlier today.
The Indian cricket team will wear black arm bands in its match against West Indies today to condole the demise of Arun Jaitley, who was also the president of the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) and former vice-president of BCCI, reports ANI.
Several leaders, including BJP president Amit Shah, on Saturday offered floral tributes to former finance minister Arun Jaitley at his Kailash Colony residence in south Delhi.
Union ministers Amit Shah, Harsh Vardhan, Jitendra Singh and BJP working president JP Nadda were among those who paid their last respects to Jaitley.
A number of Delhi BJP leaders and party workers also paid tribute to Jaitley.
President Ram Nath Kovind pays tribute to former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who passed away at All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, earlier today.
The Haryana government has decided to observe two-day state mourning as a mark of respect to former Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, who died in New Delhi on Saturday.
According to a circular issued by the chief secretary office in Chandigarh, the national flag will fly at half-mast from 24 to 25 August in the state on all the buildings where it is flown regularly, and there will be no official programmes on these days, PTI reported.
Veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh pay tribute to former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who passed away at AIIMS in Delhi, earlier today.
Several top diplomats of countries such as the US and France offered their condolences at the passing away of former Union minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday, hailing him as a statesman.
"On behalf of France, I offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Shri Arun Jaitley ji. As the nation mourns its former FM & one of Rajya Sabha's most prominent voices, France stands with India and its people in this time of deep grief," French envoy in India Alexandre Ziegler said in a tweet.
US Ambassador to India Ken Juster said it is with much sadness that "we have learned of the passing of Arun Jaitley".
The Chinese envoy in India Sun Weidong also conveyed his condolences to the departed leader's family members.
The European Union's envoy in India Tomasz Kozlowski said: "Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Arun Jaitley. My deepest condolences to his family, the people and the government of India. The country has lost one of its most respected leaders and statesmen."
Stating that Arun Jaitley's demise is an unbearable loss to BJP workers, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday: "As a student leader, he was jailed for 19 months during the emergency. As a Member of Parliament, he always acted as a crusader against corruption."
Senior Congress leader Motilal Vohra, NCP leaders Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel and former Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu paid their last respects to Jaitley at his residence.
The mortal remains of Former Union Minister and BJP leader Arun Jaitley are being taken to BJP headquarters.
British High Commissioner to India Sir Dominic Asquith paid tribute to former Union Minister Arun Jaitley at the latter's residence.
Speaking to ANI, Asquith said, "Jaitley was a man that many people in Britain treasured, knew well, worked with, valued him for his wisdom, gentleness and humour. He will be much missed."
Union Home Minster Amit Shah and former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan have reached the BJP Headquarters where Arun Jaitley’s mortal remains will be kept till around 2 pm for public homage.
Former Union Minister Arun Jaitley’s mortal remains have reached the BJP Headquarters.
Jaitley’s mortal remains would open for public from 11 am onwards, reported News18.
Home Minister Amit Shah and several other leaders paid their last respects to Jaitley after his mortal remains were moved to the BJP Headquarters a few minutes ago.
BJP state chief Manoj Tiwari paid his tribute to Arun Jaitley at the BJP Headquarters.
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telegu Desam party (TDP) leader N Chandrababu Naidu expressed condolences on former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's demise.
"It is a personal loss and also a loss to the country. He was a great intellectual and a good statesman. he brought a lot of reforms as Finance Minister," Naidu said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid tributes to former Union Minister Arun Jaitley, at the BJP’s headquarters.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das, Union Ministers Harsh Vardhan, Piyush Goyal pay their last respects to Former Union Minister and BJP leader Arun Jaitley at the BJP headquarters.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari paid homage to BJP leader Arun Jaitley.
"His demise is very unfortunate. I have seen him grow from a member of the student union to finance minister of India. He was a political giant who loved to put his forward and argue. He has contributed a lot in the politics and for the Constitution," Gadkari told ANI.
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the brightest sun of Indian politics has set with the demise of former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
“The brightest sun of Indian politics set on Saturday. He was BJP's strategist and creator of New India. He was an inspiration for several party workers like me. He was an able administrator along with being a great leader. His demise has created a void which will be impossible to fill in the coming days,” said Chouhan.
Joining the club, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu paid his tribute to former Union Minister Arun Jaitley at the BJP Headquarters.
The mortal remains of former Union minister Arun Jaitley was taken to the Nigambodh Ghat from the BJP headquarters here on Sunday afternoon in a flower-decked gun carriage, amidst chants of Jaitley ji amar rahein.
Himachal Pradesh government has announced two-day state mourning over the demise of former Union Minister and BJP leader Arun jaitley, reports ANI.
Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) acting President CK Khanna also paid homage to the late Minister at his residence in South Delhi.
“Jaitley was associated with the Delhi cricket in the past and he has helped many players. He was the saviour of BCCI and nobody has represented India as he did,” Khanna said speaking to ANI.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut told ANI, "Arun Jaitley's demise is like the loss of a big brother to the NDA. He had a very warm relation with the Shiv Sena and was a strong supporter of our alliance."
Raut added that Jaitley played a key role in bringing the Shiv Sena and BJP back together after a fallout between the two in 2015.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik also paid his last respects to former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley.
The cavalcade carrying Jaitley’s remains has reached the Nigambodh Ghat. The former union minister will be cremated with full state honours.
Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, at Nigambodh Ghat.
Actor-turned BJP MP Roopa Ganguly recalled former finance minister Arun Jaitley as a “very humorous and witty man.”
“Jaitley ji was a knowledgeable leader, a great lawyer and very humorous and witty man,” Ganguly told ANI.
Speaking about her work experience with Jaitley, she said, “I am glad that I got the opportunity to work with him in the Rajya Sabha. He used to make new BJP workers understand everything about the party working style. He was not only a great advocate but also an astute leader of the House. We have seen him handle things with ease in different situations.”
Senior Congress leader Rajeev Shukla and chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL) termed Jaitley's demise, “a great loss to democracy, political fulcrum and legal and cricket fraternity.”
Speaking to ANI, Shukla said, “In passing away of Jaitley, the country has lost a valuable leader.”
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Union Minister Smriti Irani, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, , Baba Ramdev are also present at the funeral.
Tamil Nadu BJP President Tamilisai Soundararajan paid homage to finance minister Arun Jaitley and said that he could have acquired a position in Prime Minister Narendra Modi 2.0 cabinet but he never gave false hope to the government.
"Most of the politicians hide their illness but he never did. He could have acquired a good position in 2019 cabinet but he did not give any false hopes to the government," she said.
Arun Jaitley's mortal remains placed on the funeral pyre.
Arun Jaitley's son Rohan performs the final rites of cremation.
Former Union Minister and BJP leader, Arun Jaitley cremated with full state honours at Nigambodh Ghat, amid family members and party leaders.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla paid tributes to former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
"He was a shining star of Indian politics. He had given direction to the polity of the nation through his work. He had given socio-political direction to the polity. His loss is irreplarable and for me, it's a personal loss," said Birla.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor mourned the demise of former Union Minister Arun Jaitley, recalling an interesting remark that the BJP leader made, "India has the same place in International Cricket Council (ICC) as the United States has in United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
"As a minister, he was very impressive. I thought that asking him questions in Parliament was always rewarding as he gave you serious answers, and expressed precisely."
BJP national vice president Baijayant 'Jay' Panda recalled how former finance minister Arun Jaitley took him under his guidance when he was a rookie BJD MP in 1998, illustrating that the departed leader was not constrained by the political divide.
Paying tributes to the BJP stalwart, Panda said that Jaitley, who passed away at AIIMS on Saturday, was always ready to help him.
The Punjab government will observe state mourning on Monday as a mark of respect towards former Union finance minister Arun Jaitley.
“There will be no official entertainment in government offices during the mourning period,” said a statement issued by the state government.
The lawyers' fraternity remembered former union minister Arun Jaitley as a “stalwart” and a “helpful and a great human being” whose demise was a huge loss for the profession.
The Bar Associations across the national capital are planning to hold seminars to carry forward his legacy and to “make the younger generation learn from his life”.
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar mourned the death of former Union minister Arun Jaitley and said he has lost a valuable friend, philosopher and guide.
Remembering his first interaction with Jaitley around 40 years ago at the Rajasthan High Court when he had gone there in connection with a case, the governor said that the BJP leader's contribution to public life has evoked respect across political spectrum.