Former minister Arun Jaitley passes away

August 24, 2019 12:40

Former finance minister Arun Jaitley, who was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, on August 9 after he complained of breathlessness, has died.

The 66-year-old veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader and a confidant of Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi, had been put on life support last week.

His health deteriorated late on Friday night, hospital sources had said.

Jaitley did not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election presumably because of his ill-health.

In September 2014, he underwent bariatric surgery to correct the weight he had gained because of a long-standing diabetic condition.

He had undergone a renal transplant on May 14 last year at the AIIMS, and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had filled in for him in the finance ministry at that time.

Jaitley, who had stopped attending office since early April last year, was back in the finance ministry on August 23, 2018.

A lawyer by profession, Jaitley had been an important part in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet in the BJP government's first term.

He held the finance and defence portfolios, and often acted as the chief trouble-shooter of the government.

Jaitley's death comes on the heels of another former minister and a veteran BJP leader, Sushma Swaraj, who had passed away on August 6. -- With agency inputs

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

Siraj Regains His Mojo

With the IPL 2024 season heading towards its business end, and RCB finding themselves in a must-win situation, Player of the Match Mohammad Siraj put up a stellar show with the ball in front of home fans.

Faf Or Kohli? Whose Knock Was Better?

Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis powered RCB to their best-ever Powerplay score in the IPL.

EPL PIX: Manchester City thump Wolves; Arsenal down Bouremouth

IMAGES from Premier League matches played on Saturday.

Real Madrid secure LaLiga title after Girona thrash Barca

Ancelotti's second-string players proved they were up to the task as they secured three points for Real and kept them on course for the inevitable LaLiga title celebrations.

Kotak Mahindra Bank reports 25% rise in Q4 net profit

Kotak Mahindra Bank on Saturday reported a 25 per cent growth in its March quarter net profit at Rs 5,302 crore, limited by a drop in the core income due to narrow interest margins. On a standalone basis, the city-headquartered lender's...