Arun Jaitley: The Finance Minister who loved a good meal and good gossip

With his death, Jaitley has taken with him a slice of the hearts of everyone who knew him

The home office of lawyer, former Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley — who died on Saturday, August 24 — was the true testament to his personality. 

Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves crammed with leather-bound compilations of court cases. In the midst of this intellectual splendour, two framed black and white pictures — of a young, intense-looking Jaitley, wearing thick glasses, standing beside former prime minister Morarji Desai, along with several other young men. These are from his days as a student leader.

There were no pictures of gods and goddesses in this office. Instead, there were framed replicas