‘I miss my friend a lot’: PM Modi remembers Arun Jaitley on first death anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday remembered former Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on the first anniversary of his death for his diligent service to the country.

“On this day, last year, we lost Shri Arun Jaitley Ji. I miss my friend a lot. Arun Ji diligently served India. His wit, intellect, legal acumen and warm personality were legendary,” the Prime Minister tweeted.

The Prime Minister also tagged a video of his comments during a prayer meeting in his memory.

Modi had mourned Jaitley’s death, saying he has lost a valued friend. He was in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the second leg of a three-nation visit when the news of the former finance minister came.

Jaitley had died of multiple organ failure at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at the age of 66 on August 24, 2019, two weeks after he was admitted to the premier hospital.

Modi had handpicked Jaitley to be the finance minister after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept to power in 2014. Jaitley who had been battling a series of illnesses had asked Modi to exclude him from the government in 2019.

He was the second BJP stalwart to die in less than three weeks after former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj died on August 6 last year.