Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has passed away on Saturday, August 24, 2019 after being admitted to AIIMS in New Delhi on August 9, the hospital has announced in a statement. The AIIMS issued a statement informing about his demise on Saturday. On the day he had been admitted to AIIMS, the hospital had issued a statement saying that he was being given treatment in the ICU under a multidisciplinary team of doctors, and that at that point he was haemodynamically stable.  His unfortunate demise marks the end of an extraordinary career that has witnessed him holding incredibly important positions at various levels, both in the government and outside.

Below is the statement by AIIMS:

BJP leader hospitalised in August

Jaitley, 66, had been visited by several top leaders of the country since his admission. President Kovind visited AIIMS on the day of his admission to the hospital, PM Modi visited him immediately after his return to the country from Bhutan. Union Minister Home Minister Amit Shah was also present in the hospital on August 11. Dr Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, as well as senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi had also visited AIIMS to inquire on the former union minister. On the day Mr. Jaitley had been admitted, a number of senior government leaders including PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had visited him at AIIMS. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu had also gone to AIIMS, on the day after Jaitley's admission.

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About the senior BJP leader

The senior BJP leader, who held the portfolios of Finance and Corporate Affairs for the entirety of the first Narendra Modi-led NDA government, had earlier opted out of the second Modi government that was sworn-in in May, citing health grounds. He had, however, voiced that he would continue to serve the government and his party in what capacity he could.

Arun Jaitley’s political career spanned multiple decades and tenures. In the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, Mr Jaitley held the portfolios of Information and Broadcasting while simultaneously holding Independent Charge of the Department of Disinvestment and going on to hold the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs and then the Ministry of Shipping. 

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Role in PM Narendra Modi's cabinet in his first term

In the Narendra Modi-led government, Jaitley came to be a centrepiece and was the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, of Corporate Affairs and held the all-important Ministries of Finance and Defence. He was also leader of the house in the Rajya Sabha since the Modi government came into office and had been a member of the upper house from Gujarat since 2000.