Arun Jaitley, the 66-year-old BJP leader, passed away at the AIIMS in New Delhi on Saturday.

BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley’s demise marks an end of ‘Delhi-4’ era, a high-profile cluster of 4 second-line leaders who effectively ran the show from 2004 until 2014.

Besides Jaitley, it enclosed Venkaiah Naidu, Sushma Swaraj and Ananth Kumar — all proteges of party patriarch L K Advani.

Jaitley’s death on weekday was one more jolt to the party once the ending of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj early this month.

arun jaitley

Ananth Kumar gave up the ghost in November last year and with Naidu no additional in active politics once his election as vp, it’s curtains for the foremost wanted cluster of leaders of Atal-Advani era within the party.

The four gained prominence on the national scene throughout the Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government from 1999-2004, once they were created a part of the Union cabinet. however, it was Pramod Mahajan who was the primary among equals and had ears of each Vajpayee and Advani.



With Pramod Mahajan’s death in 2006 and Vajpayee taking a back seat from active politics, Advani remained the tallest leader within the party with these four leaders firmly standing behind him.
Jaitley, 66, indisposed for the past many months, passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on a weekday. He was admitted to AIIMS on August nine and was on life support for the past few weeks. Jaitley had retired from active political life attributable to his health problem, however, had to continue to share his thoughts on Twitter and his blogs.

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi couldn’t attend the incineration of his party colleague, close friend, and also the principal architect of the govt that took the oath of the workplace in could 2014 as he’s away on an official visit to France, the UAE, and Bahrain.

After finishing his three-nation visit, the PM came back to France on Sunday to attend the G7 Summit at the coastal city of Biarritz.
In the Indian capital, a whole lot paid tributes to Jaitley at his south city residence, wherever his body was unbroken long during a casket wrapped within the national flag.

Senior Congress leader Motilal Vora, Nationalist Congress Party leaders Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party leader N Chandrababu Naidu also paid respects to Jaitley at his Kailash Colony residence in south Delhi. It was during Jaitley’s tenure as the finance minister that the goods and services tax was rolled out, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code implemented, the controversial electoral bonds introduced, and the contentious demonetisation decision announced.

 

Voices-

“Mr Jaitley’s great contribution to elevating our bilateral relationship to a new height, during his tenure as finance minister and defence minister, will be remembered by the people of Japan”— Kenji Hiramatsu- Japanese Ambassador to India

“Jaitley was a man that many people in Britain treasured, knew well, worked with, valued him for his wisdom, gentleness, and humour”— Dominic Asquith, British High Commissioner to India

“Jaitley did what he did out of patience and love for his nation. On behalf of Israel, we pay our heartful condolences”— DR Ron Malka, Ambassador of Israel

“Jaitley’s demise is a great loss to the BJP, the legal system has lost an excellent advocate and the nation which has lost a matured and large-hearted person”— Abhishek Manu Singhvi, SC senior advocate & Rajya Sabha MP

“A friend and a dear colleague will be remembered for his seminal contributions to the polity and as FM”— Kapil Sibal Rajya Sabha MP