Chandrababu Naidu pays homage to Arun Jaitley

TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday condoled the demise of Union Minister Arun Jaitley.

"Devastated to learn about the passing away of Arun Jaitley ji. Truly cherish the many years of friendship shared with a humble leader who was also a great statesman. My deepest condolences to his family," tweeted N Chandrababu Naidu.

Naidu's son and Andhra Pradesh MLC also paid tribute to the BJP stalwart.

"Shocked to hear about the demise of Arun Jaitley ji. Throughout the long association, our party had with him, we witnessed his honesty, integrity, courage and the fine way he carried himself. My deepest sympathies and respect go out to his family," Nara Lokesh said in a tweet.

Jaitley passed away in New Delhi at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He was 66.

A four-time member of Rajya Sabha, he became a Cabinet minister in the government of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2000. He was Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha from June 2009 to 2014.

Jaitley was Finance and Corporate Affairs minister in the first term of Modi government and also held portfolios of Defence and Information and Broadcasting.