PM Narendra Modi's tribute to Arun Jaitley: I have lost a valued friend

New Delhi : Moments after the news of death of former Union Minister Arun Jaitley came out, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences. He is currently in UAE on a three-nation visit.

"Arun Jaitley Ji was a political giant, towering intellectual and legal luminary. He was an articulate leader who made a lasting contribution to India. His passing away is very saddening. Spoke to his wife Sangeeta Ji as well as son Rohan, and expressed condolences. Om Shanti," PM Modi tweeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke with the wife and kids of Arun Jaitley, who insisted that he must not cut short his three-nation trip, reported news agency ANI.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Saturday morning took his last breath at AIIMS Delhi. He was 66-year-old.

He was admitted to AIIMS on August 9 after he complained of breathlessness. He was on life support for past few days.

"Full of life, blessed with wit, a great sense of humour and charisma, Arun Jaitley Ji was admired by people across all sections of society. He was multi-faceted, having impeccable knowledge about India's Constitution, history, public policy, governance and administration," PM Modi said.

"During his long political career, Arun Jaitley Ji held multiple ministerial responsibilities, which enabled him to contribute towards India's economic growth, strengthening our defence capabilities, creating people friendly laws and enhancing trade with other nations," he said.

"BJP and Arun Jaitley Ji had an unbreakable bond. As a fiery student leader, he was at forefront of protecting our democracy during the Emergency. He became a much liked face of our Party, who could articulate the Party programmes and ideology to a wide spectrum of society.

"With the demise of Arun Jaitley Ji, I have lost a valued friend, whom I have had the honour of knowing for decades. His insight on issues and nuanced understanding of matters had very few parallels. He lived well, leaving us all with innumerable happy memories. We will miss him," PM Modi said in tweets.