FM Arun Jaitley

The Finance Ministry on Monday said GST has reduced the rate at which people have to pay tax, helped increase compliance and doubled taxpayer base to 12.4 million

The nation will miss one of its finest strategists

The 66-year-old BJP stalwart passed away at the AIIMS here on Saturday

Jaitley and Swaraj were Union Ministers in the first term of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet

Jaitley's mortal remains will be brought to the party headquarters at the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg around 10.30 am for his admirers and followers to pay their last respects

Modi said these were difficult moments for him as he was bound by duty on one side and on the other side there were abiding memories of friendship

In informal conversations, current and past bureaucrats, some of whom are still in very powerful positions, have spoken highly of him as a minister who trusted his bureaucrats' judgement, experience

Others who visited AIIMS to enquire about his health are Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, BJP's Satish Upadhyay and Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa

Advocate Sharma had accused the Finance Minister of plundering the capital reserve of the RBI