Jaitley’s mortal remains brought to BJP headquarters for last respects

PTI, Aug 25, 2019, 12:10 PM IST

New Delhi: The mortal remains of former finance minister Arun Jaitley were on Sunday morning brought to the BJP headquarters here for his admirers and followers to pay their last respects.

The 66-year-old passed away at the AIIMS here on Saturday. He was undergoing treatment at the hospital, where he was admitted on August 9.

The body will be taken to the Nigambodh Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna river for performing the last rites around 2.30 pm with full State honours, a senior BJP leader said.

Outside the party office, people chanted “Jab tak suraj chand rahega Jaitley tera naam rahega” (Your name will endure as long as the Sun and the Moon exist)” and ‘Jaitley ji amar rahe’ (You live long forever).

BJP workers and mourners are queued up in large numbers outside the party headquarters to pay their last respects to the leader.

On Saturday, the body was kept at his residence where President Ram Nath Kovind, BJP president Amit Shah and several leaders across the political spectrum offered floral tributes to the former Union minister.

Shah on Saturday said Jaitley was a crusader against corruption and credited him for taking the Jan Dhan Yojana to the masses, demonetisation and the successful implementation of the GST.