The country has lost a great leader who always worked for the betterment of society, Singh said. In his condolence letter to Jaitley's wife, Sangeeta Jaitley, Manmohan Singh said, "I have learnt with profound sorrow about the sad and shocking news of the untimely demise of our beloved Arun Jaitley." 

The senior BJP leader and former cricket administrator passed away after a prolonged illness in the Capital on Saturday morning.

Sibal said Jaitley was a man of exceptional qualities and abilities and was wedded to an ideology since his university days and was "fateful to that ideology till his last breath".

Last year after a prolonged stand-off between the finance ministry and the RBI which was then headed by Urjit Patel, Jaitley had brought in Shaktikanta Das as the RBI Governor after Patel resigned before his term.

Jaitley was undoubtedly one of the BJP's most prominent leaders, besides being the Finance Minister during the first term of its government between 2014 and 2019. And he leaves behind a rich and chequered legacy, one where his tenure as the Finance Minister is marked with bold reforms, including some of the most far-reaching since Independence, as well as the notorious 'demonetisation' that dealt the hardest blow to the country's masses.

A brilliant orator and a dedicated activist, Jaitley held important positions like the country's finance minister, defence minister and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Shah said.

Arun Jaitley's last tweet came on August 7 when he paid his tributes for Tulsidas Jayanti before tweeting how heartbroken he was at the demise of his cabinet colleague Sushma Swaraj, who passed away at the AIIMS following a cardiac arrest on August 6.

Former finance minister Arun Jaitley passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on August 9. Have a look at some unseen pictures of Arun Jaitley's childhood pictures.

Arun Jaitley breathed his last at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences. He was 66. IndiaTvNews.com brings to you some rare and unseen photos of Arun Jaitley. 

The Congress party said, "We are deeply saddened to hear the passing of Shri Arun Jaitley. Our condolences to his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this time of grief."

From BJP headquarters, it will be taken to the Nigambodh Ghat for the last rites.

India TV Editor-In-Chief and Chairman Rajat Sharma has expressed deep sorrow on Arun Jaitley's death. Rajat Sharma was a close friend of Arun Jaitley for over 50 years.

With Arun Jaitley's death, a light has gone out of Indian politics. Jaitley Ji breathed his last in New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He was 66. IndiaTvNews.com pays tribute to Arun Jaitley. You can also send in your tributes for Arun Jaitley in our comments section.

"He will be remembered as a sane voice, a dependable friend, an intelligent statesman and a legal luminary whose sound legal advice was trusted by all persons in public life across the political divide," Mehta added.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, in his condolence message, recalled the services rendered by Jaitley to the nation and prayed that the former Finance Minister's soul may rest in peace. Rao conveyed his condolences to the members of the bereaved family.  

From being late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's blue-eyed man to BJP's Man Friday Arun Jaitley donned many a glove. IndiaTvNews.com takes you through the timeline of Arun Jaitley, a man whose void will hardly be ever filled.

"Untimely demise of former Finance Minister and senior leader Jaitley is a huge loss to the nation. A legal luminary and an experienced political leader known for his governance skills will be missed by the country. Thoughts and prayers with his family in this moment of grief," Kejriwal tweeted.

A brilliant strategist and one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's most trusted colleagues, Jaitley was far more than an accomplished lawyer and many notches above his contemporaries in politics. The overcrowded grand stage of Delhi's intoxicating power elite has paused. It has lost one of its main protagonists, who passed away at AIIMS after prolonged illness on Saturday.

22 interesting facts about Arun Jaitley: Suave, affable, articulate - Arun Jaitley was all combined. For many years, especially Arun Jaitley remained Atal Bihari Vajpayee's troubleshooter. With his knowledge of law and understanding of politics, Jaitley established himself as the man who could manage things in the backroom while also present party's view to media and public with elan.

"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.