New Delhi (24 August 2019): Former Finance Minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley passed away today at the age of 66.
Jaitley had been unwell for the past two years. In 2018, he underwent a kidney transplant. Due to diabetes-related weight gain, he also had bariatric surgery in 2014.
On August 9, Jaitley was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) due to breathing difficulties and restlessness. His health gradually deteriorated, and he was placed on a ventilator. Since August 10, AIIMS had not released any health bulletins regarding his condition.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Ministers Smriti Irani, Jitendra Singh, and Ram Vilas Paswan, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress leaders Abhishek Singhvi and Jyotiraditya Scindia, and RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat visited the hospital to inquire about his health and meet his family.
Due to his health issues, Jaitley had opted out of contesting the 2019 Indian general elections.
