Arun Jaitley cremated with full state honours

New Delhi : Former Union Minister Arun Jaitley, one of the greatest leaders of India, has been cremated on with full state honours. Arun Jaitley’s son Rohan lit the funeral pyre as a 21-gun salute went off on the banks of the river Yamuna in national capital Delhi.

His body, wrapped in tri-colour, was brought to Nigambodh Ghat in a flower-decked gun carriage from the BJP headquarters, where a score of leaders paid their last tribute.

Many of those who came for him were the BJP’s political rivals, such as Telugu Desam Party’s Chandrababu Naidu, Congress’ Kapil Sibal and Aam Aadmi Party’s Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose return to the NDA was made possible due to Jaitley’s influence, also attended the funeral along with other top ministers such as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Arun Jaitley took his last breath on Saturday at AIIMS Delhi. He died of organ failure at the age of 66 years. He was undergoing treatment at the hospital, where he was admitted on August 9.

His condition had been critical, and he was being treated by a multi-disciplinary team of specialists from the departments of cardiology, endocrinology, pulmonology and nephrology, among others. Jaitley’s condition kept deteriorating and he was put on a life-support system.

Jaitley is survived by his wife Sangeeta Jaitley, daughter Sonali Jaitley Bakhshi and son Rohan Jaitley.