(This article has been republished from The Quint’s archives to mark Arun Jaitley’s death anniversary.)
After battling a long illness, former Finance Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart Arun Jaitley passed away at AIIMS, New Delhi, on Saturday, 24 August.
With the modest beginnings of a student leader, Jaitley rose through the ranks and went on to become one of the BJP’s most-respected trouble-shooters. Here’s a look at his eventful life journey in pictures.
A promising lawyer, Jaitley became the youngest Additional Solicitor General of India in 1989.
But the bright lawyer didn’t confine himself to courtrooms and became a part of the BJP government in October 1999.
A remarkable leader, Jaitley was known for his deep network across the political aisle.
In the 2014 General Elections, Jaitley became the BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Amritsar in Punjab. He even brought a house there, anticipating a win.
Although he lost to the Congress’ Captain Amarinder Singh, the BJP nominated Jaitley to the Rajya Sabha and made him the finance minister.
As finance minister, Jaitley constantly defended the PM Modi-led government’s controversial decision to outlaw a portion currency notes in November 2016. He was, in a sense, the government’s primary trouble-shooter.
Jaitley was also credited with ushering in the government’s ambitious Goods and Services Tax.
“Needless to say, I am a Punjabi by birth and culture, and as any good Punjabi will tell you, changa khana te changa paana (You must eat and dress well),” wrote Jaitley, for Outlook magazine in 2010. Although a diabetic, Jaitley’s love for food was immense.
Not just in law and politics, Jaitley kept an active interest in cricket and had served as the president of the Delhi and District Cricket Association from 1999 to 2013.
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