Jaitley was political giant, invaluable asset for country: LS speaker

Paying last tributes to BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley on Sunday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla described him as a colossus whose inspirational and intellectual presence was an invaluable asset for the country.

Birla, who was present at the Nigam Bodh Ghat where Jaitley was cremated with full State honours, said Jaitley had a profound imprint on Indian statecraft and nation building, which not only defined the basic tenets of governance, but also impacted the lives of the common man.

"Arunji was a colossus whose inspirational and intellectual presence was an invaluable asset for the country. A political giant, who earned reverence and trust across the political divides," Birla was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Birla said the former Union finance minister will also be remembered for his sensitivity and incisive understanding of issues.

In his sad demise, the nation has lost a worthy son whose memory will always inspire the future generations, Birla said.

Hundreds of mourners, who converged at the cremation ground along the banks of the Yamuna, bid a tearful adieu to the BJP stalwart who passed away on Saturday at the age of 66.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, BJP veteran LK Advani, party president and Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, party's working president J P Nadda, Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal, Harsh Vardhan, Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Prakash Javadekar, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kapil Sibal, NCP leader Praful Patel and Yoga guru Ramdev were among those present at the cremation ground.