New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS): Former Finance minister and BJP leader Arun Jaitley was cremated with full state honours at the Nigambodh Ghat here on Sunday. His son Rohan performed the last rites.
The cremation was attended by Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Rajnath Singh, Prakash Javdekar, Smriti Irani, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
Also present were BJP veteran L.K. Advani as well as other party leaders including B.S. Yediyurappa, Gautam Gambhir, along with opposition leaders Sharad Pawar.
Earlier reports
Jaitley's funeral procession leaves BJP headquarters
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS): A large crowd gathered outside the BJP headquarters here on Sunday for a last glimpse of former Finance minister and BJP leader Arun Jaitley as his body was taken to Nigambodh Ghat for cremation. The cremation will take place at 2.30 p.m.
Security was beefed up outside the BJP headquarters on Deendayal Upadhyay Road, with both police and paramilitary forces deployed in strength.
In the morning, hordes of people tried to enter the BJP headquarters when the body of Jaitley, who died at AIIMS on Saturday, was brought there in a procession from his house in Kailash Colony, south Delhi.
Union Ministers Amit Shah, Harsh Vardhan, Rajnath Singh and Piyush Goyal, Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das and Bharatiya Janata Party National Working President J.P. Nadda were among those who paid homage to the departed leader at the party headquarters.
Remembering Jaitley, his close friend and television anchor Rajat Sharma, said: "One can never find a friend like him. Will always remain on the path he showed."
Jaitley's mortal remains moved to BJP headquarters
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS): The mortal remains of former Finance minister Arun Jaitley were on Sunday morning moved from his residence in Kailash Colony here to the BJP headquarters for people to pay their tributes.
Several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders accompanied the convoy carrying Jaitley's mortal remains in a military vehicle decked with flowers.
The body will be kept at the BJP headquarters till around 2 p.m., and will then be moved to Nigambodh Ghat for the last rites, said party sources.
Jaitley passed away at AIIMS on Saturday due to a prolonged illness. He was 66.
BJP veteran, ex-finance minister Arun Jaitley passes away at 66
New Delhi, Aug 24: BJP veteran and former finance minister Arun Jaitley passed away on Saturday, August 24 at AIIMS after prolonged illness. Jaitley had undergone dialysis on Thursday.
"It is with profound grief that we inform about the sad demise of Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Member of Parliament (MP) at 12:07 p.m. on Saturday. Jaitley was admitted in AIIMS, New Delhi on Auguts 9 and was treated by a multi-disciplinary team of senior doctors," said Aarti Vij, Chairperson, Media and Protocol, AIIMS.
He was 66.
Jaitley, who was said to be critical, was reportedly put on life support.
He was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on August 9 after he had complained of restlessness and breathlessness. A multidisciplinary team of doctors at AIIMS has been appointed to supervise his treatment.
Jaitley was earlier admitted to AIIMS in May as well. He did not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election because of his ill health.
Jaitley, a lawyer by profession, was an important part in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet in the BJP government's first term. He held the finance and defence portfolios.
He had undergone a renal transplant in May 2018 at AIIMS with Railways Minister Piyush Goyal filling 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.
In September 2014, he underwent bariatric surgery to correct the weight he had gained because of a long-standing diabetic condition.
The mortal remains of former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who died on Saturday, have reached his residence here.
The remains were brought to the late leader's residence in Kailash Colony, South Delhi, from AIIMS where he died earlier in the day due to prolonged illness.
Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani, Om Birla, Hardeep Puri, Jitender Singh, Anurag Thakur, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Manoj Tiwari, Ramesh Bidhuri were among various leaders who rushed to AIIMS after hearing the news of Jaitley's demise.
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan was present in the hospital since early Saturday morning.
Senior Advocates including Geeta Luthra were also present in the hospital.
Jaitley will be cremated at the Nigam Bodh Ghat here on Sunday, party sources said.
"Jaitley's body will reach the BJP office at 10 a.m. on Sunday and thereafter cremation will take place at the Nigam Bodh Ghat at 2 p.m.," a party official said.