Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has passed away on Saturday, August 24, 2019 after being admitted to AIIMS in New Delhi on August 9, hospital has anunced in a statement. AIIMS issued a statement informing about his demise on Saturday. Arun Jaitley unfortunate demise marks end of an extraordinary career that has witnessed him holding incredibly important positions at various levels, both in government and outside.

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Arun Jaitley’s role during Emergency

Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley fought actively to protect democracy during dark years of Emergency. Arun Jaitley organized a massive protest at Delhi University campus on 26 April, 1975 and was arrested for it under Maintenance of Internal Securities Act. Jaitley was detained for 19 months during Emergency and did even attempt to seek an early release. Instead, former Finance Minister fought from behind bars amid cruel conditions such as a ration of just Rs 3 per day for prisoners. Despite being detained during Emergency, Arun Jaitley had moved to court on multiple occasions to permit him to write his final exams for Law but was turned down. 19 months after his arrest Arun Jaitley was freed and in 1977 he said “ I first enjoyed my freedom by going home to my parents. But very next day after that, I thought of unfinished job we have to do in this country, and I plunged back into politics.” “For many like me who underwent emergency experience in Delhi and successfully fought against it, this became a turning point in our lives. emergency was perhaps best political education of my life. It taught me that some compromises were just t possible”, Arun Jaitley wrote about Emergency in 2014.

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PM Modi hails Arun Jaitley’s struggle during Emergency

PM Modi termed bond shared between late former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as an unbreakable one. PM Modi spoke to Arun Jaitley's wife and son and expressed his condolences at former Union Minister's demise. PM Modi recalled days when young Arun Jaitley was a fierce student leader and his role inm protecting democracy during Emergency. PM Modi said that Arun Jaitley became a popular face of Party who could articulate Party's ideologies to all levels of society. Read PM Modi's tweet here:

READ | PM Modi pays tribute to Arun Jaitley, says he was a 'political giant'

Arun Jaitley's political career

senior BJP leader, who held portfolios of Finance and Corporate Affairs for entirety of first Narendra Modi-led NDA government, had earlier opted out of second Modi govern

ment that was sworn-in in May, citing health grounds. He had, however, voiced that he would continue to serve government and his party in what capacity he could.Arun Jaitley’s political career spanned multiple decades and tenures. In Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, Mr Jaitley held portfolios of Information and Broadcasting while simultaneously holding Independent Charge of Department of Disinvestment and going on to hold Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs and n Ministry of Shipping.

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