RIP Arun Jaitley: Lost a political giant, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief on former finance minister Arun Jaitley's untimely demise.
PM Modi took to Twitter to pay his tribute.
"Arun Jaitley Ji was a political giant, towering intellectual and legal luminary. He was an articulate leader who made a lasting contribution to India. His passing away is very saddening. Spoke to his wife Sangeeta Ji as well as son Rohan, and expressed condolences. Om Shanti," the prime minister tweeted.
The BJP stalwart died on Saturday at AIIMS. He was 66.
In a brief statement, the hospital said Jaitley died at 12.07 pm.
Jaitley was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here on August 9 and was treated by a multi-disciplinary team of senior doctors.
Hospital sources had earlier said he was on life support.
Jaitley, a lawyer by profession, had been a key member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet in the BJP government's first term. He held the finance and defence portfolios, and often acted as the chief troubleshooter of the government.
Jaitley did not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election, because of his ill-health.
In May this year, Jaitley was admitted to AIIMS for treatment.
He had undergone a renal transplant on May 14 last year at AIIMS with Railways Minister Piyush Goyal filling in for him in the finance ministry at that time.
Jaitley, who had stopped attending office since early April last year, was back in the finance ministry on August 23, 2018.
In September 2014, he underwent bariatric surgery to correct the weight he had gained because of a long-standing diabetic condition.
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