Arun Jaitley Died At 66: After Sushma Swaraj, India had faced another big loss on Saturday, August 24, when Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley died at AIIMS hospital in New Delhi. He was 66 years old.
AIIMS issued a statement for announcing Arun Jaitley’s demise, which states, “It is with profound grief that we inform about the sad demise of Shri Arun Jaitley, Hon’ble Member of Parliament and former Finance Minister Government of India at 12:07 pm on August 24, 2019. Arun Jaitley was admitted in AIIMS, New Delhi on 09/08/2019 and was treated by a multidisciplinary team of senior Doctors.”
He was a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who had a long and illustrious political career. Due to ill health, he stepped down as finance minister in the month of January.
On his demise, PM Modi said on Twitter, “With the demise of Arun Jaitley Ji, I have lost a valued friend, whom I have had the honor of knowing for decades. His insight on issues and nuanced understanding of matters had very few parallels.”
Jaitley started his political career rising up the ranks from a student activist in order to become a Cabinet minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee as well as the first Narendra Modi governments.
On August 9, Arun Jaitley was rushed to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after he complained of breathing difficulty and restlessness. After that, he was kept under observation at the Cardio-Neuro-Centre of the hospital, but on the other hand, his condition kept on worsening.
However, he stepped down as finance minister of the new government but his regular tweets and blog posts showed that he missed politics.
He was last tweeted on August 7, where he stated about how saddened he is at the death of his cabinet colleague Sushma Swaraj, who died on August 6 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after a cardiac arrest.
Saddened, pained & broken on demise of Sushmaji. She was one of the most outstanding politicians in the Present Era. She distinguished in all positions. She held Senior Positions with the Party, NDA Govt. & while in opposition. She leaves behind a void which is difficult to fill.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) August 6, 2019
The tweet reads, “Saddened, pained & broken on the demise of Sushmaji. She was one of the most outstanding politicians in the Present Era. She distinguished in all positions. She held Senior Positions with the Party, NDA Govt. & while in opposition. She leaves behind a void which is difficult to fill.”
Previous that day that is on August 6, Arun Jaitley congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Home Minister Amit Shah for removing Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
He said, “Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Home Minister Shri Amit Shah achieved the Impossible with the new Kashmir policy. In my blog today, I have analyzed the impact of this decision, and history of failed attempts on resolving the J&K issue,”
Telling in detail regarding the importance of the move, Arun Jaitley tweeted, “The J&K history of the past seven decades shows that the journey of this separate Status has been towards separatism and not integration. It created a separatist psyche. Pakistan was more than enthusiastic in trying to exploit the situation.”
By 1989-90, the situation of J&K had gone out of control and separatism with terrorism picked up. Kashmiri pundits, an essential part of Kashmiriat, suffered such atrocities which only the Nazis had inflicted in the past. The ethnic cleansing took place and they had to move out.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) August 6, 2019
In another tweet, he said, “By 1989-90, the situation of J&K had gone out of control and separatism with terrorism picked up. Kashmiri pundits, an essential part of Kashmiri, suffered such atrocities which only the Nazis had inflicted in the past. The ethnic cleansing took place and they had to move out.”
The decision to reverse the situation created by Panditji needed clarity, vision and determination. It also needed political courage. The Prime Minister has created history through his absolute clarity and determination.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) August 6, 2019
Congress Party, as a ‘headless chicken’, is further consolidating its alienation from the people of India. The New India has changed. Only the Congress does not realise this. The Congress leadership is determined to succeed in its race to the bottom.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) August 6, 2019
In the meantime, Jaitley’s body was taken to the BJP headquarters where party workers, as well as leaders, will show their last respects. He will be cremated with state honors this afternoon.
