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BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley passes away at 66

BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley passes away at 66

Edited by Shalini Ojha
Aug 24, 2019
01:23 pm

What's the story

In a distressing piece of news, former Finance Minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley passed away today. He was 66. Lawyer-turned-politician Jaitley was admitted to AIIMS on August 9, after he complained of restlessness and palpitations. He had been in ICU since then. Here are more details.

Health

Earlier, AIIMS had said Jaitley was hemodynamically stable

Jaitley was put under the care of a multidisciplinary team of doctors, AIIMS had said after he was admitted. Though he was taken to ICU, he was hemodynamically stable (meaning his heart was pumping blood at the required force), the premier medical institute had revealed. However, there were some reports that claimed Jaitley was in critical condition.

Twitter Post

PM Modi's tribute to Jaitley

Details

Jaitley had not been keeping well for months now

Jaitley's health had been a major concern for months. Last year, he underwent a kidney transplant and took a long break after the surgery. He had also gone abroad for treatment which is why he couldn't present the interim budget of 2019. His Cabinet colleague Piyush Goyal filled in for him. In May too, Jaitley got admitted to AIIMS after his health deteriorated.

Minister

Key minister in Modi 1.0, Jaitley excused himself this time

In Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first tenure, Jaitley handled many important portfolios and was seen as a key troubleshooter. He oversaw the GST implementation and fiercely defended the government's controversial schemes. But after PM Modi stormed to power again in 2019, Jaitley said he couldn't be a part of the Cabinet due to his health. He had written a letter to PM Modi too.

Twitter Post

Jaitley had thanked PM Modi for the opportunities

Quote

I need time for myself, Jaitley had said

"I am writing to you to formally request you that I should be allowed a reasonable time for myself, my treatment and my health, and therefore, not be a part of any responsibility, for the present, in the new government," Jaitley had written.