Amit Shah, Rajnath condole Jaitley's demise

BJP chief Amit Shah and Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday expressed grief over the demise of former Union Minister Arun Jaitley and termed it a big personal loss.

Paying his condolence over the demise of former finance minister Jaitley, BJP president Amit Shah tweeted, "Deeply pained by the demise of Arun Jaitley ji. It is like a personal loss for me. I have not only lost a senior party leader but also an important family member who will forever be a guiding light for me."

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also paid tributes to his former ministerial colleague and tweeted, "Deeply anguished by the demise of my friend and an extremely valued colleague Arun Jaitleyji. He was a proficient lawyer by profession and an efficient politician by passion".

In another tweet, Singh praised Jaitley for his service to the nation and termed him an "asset to the government and party".

"Arun Jaitley ji served the nation in several capacities and he was an asset to the government and the party organisation. He always had a deep and clear understanding of the issues of the day. His knowledge and articulation won him, several friends," Singh's second tweet read.

The Congress party also expressed grief on the demise of the former finance minister.

"We are deeply saddened to hear the passing of Arun Jaitley. Our condolences to his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this time of grief," tweet by the official party handle read.

Jaitley passed away here at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Saturday. He was 66.

Confirming the senior leader's demise, Protocol Division of AIIMS stated that Jaitley breathed his last on Saturday afternoon.

Jaitley was admitted to the AIIMS earlier this month after he complained of restlessness. He was placed under observation at the hospital's Cardio-Neuro-Centre.