PM, VP pay rich tributes to Arun Jaitley on his first death anniversary

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid rich tributes to party stalwart Arun Jaitley on his first death anniversary on Monday, August 24.

The prime minister tweeted, “On this day, last year, we lost Shri Arun Jaitley Ji. I miss my friend a lot. Arun Ji diligently served India. His wit, intellect, legal acumen, and warm personality were legendary. Here is what I had said during a prayer meeting in his memory.”

He posted a video of his speech at the condolence meeting held here for Jaitley last year.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu wrote on Twitter, “I pay my humble tributes to my friend, Shri Arun Jaitley Ji on his death anniversary. Shri Jaitley was a multi-faceted personality and served the nation with distinction in various capacities.”

Top leaders including, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and party president J P Nadda, fondly remembered Jaitley, who was the voice of the party on various issues for decades and was seen as its main troubleshooter.

A key BJP leader and a crucial member of the party’s brain trust for decades, Jaitley was an articulate champion of the saffron party’s policies and ideology, and his warm personality and affable manners won him, friends, across the political spectrum.

He served as the Union finance minister in the first Modi government and wore many hats in public life, from that of a lawyer to a politician and a cricket administrator. He died at 66 years of age last year after battling a prolonged illness.