Arun Jaitley Cremated with State Honours, Top Leaders Present

New Delhi, August 25, 2019:

Former Union Finance Minister and BJP veteran Arun Jaitley, who had died on Saturday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, was cremated with state honours in New Delhi this afternoon. Jaitley had been admitted to AIIMS since August 5 after complaining of 'breathlessness'.

Many senior politicians from across the political spectrum attended Jaitley's funeral. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Kapil Sibal were also present.

PM Modi, who is currently on a trip abroad, had offered to fly down to attend the funeral, but Jaitley's family advised him not to do so.

One of the most trusted ministers of PM Modi, Jaitley was acknowledged as a key 'troubleshooter' for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet and one of the tallest Indian leaders.

Jaitley, who was an important member of the Narendra Modi-led NDA Government, had held the finance and defence portfolios under the Modi regime. He was also a former attorney.

In May 2017, Jaitley had undergone a renal transplant with Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.

Jaitley served as the Finance Minister in the Modi government’s first term in office.

However, due to his poor health, he was forced not to present the Interim Budget in February this year before the Lok Sabha polls.

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