Arun Jaitley’s cremation today at Nigambodh Ghat

The hospital finished embalming Jaitley’s mortal remains by 2.45pm. Around 3.15pm, an ambulance with the remains left for Jaitley’s residence.

Former finance minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart Arun Jaitley died of multi-organ failure at New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Saturday, a fortnight after he was hospitalized complaining of uneasiness. He was 66.

A BJP activist pays homage to former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on his demise at the age of 66, at Ganga river in Kolkata on Saturday.(ANI Photo)

“It is with profound grief that we inform about the sad demise of Shri Arun Jaitley... at 12.07pm on 24th August, 2019,” a statement from AIIMS said. “Shri Arun Jaitley was admitted in AIIMS, New Delhi on 09/08/2019 and was treated by a multidisciplinary team of senior doctors.”

The hospital finished embalming Jaitley’s mortal remains by 2.45pm. Around 3.15pm, an ambulance with the remains left for Jaitley’s residence.

Within an hour of the announcement of his death, the hospital was thronged by Jaitley’s family, friends and well-wishers from not just the political fraternity but also the legal profession and other fields.

Those who visited the hospital included finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, minister of state at the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh, BJP working president JP Nadda, member of parliament Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, senior cardiologist Naresh Trehan and senior advocate Pinky Anand, among others.

The crowd swelled after the world of Jaitley’s death spread. Most of them were the attendants of patients who wanted to catch a last glimpse of him. The guards had a tough time dispersing the crowd near the cardio-neuro tower.

Jaitley was admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) of the Cardiothoracic Neurosciences Centre at AIIMS on the morning of August 9. His condition had been critical, and he was being treated by a multi-disciplinary team of specialists from the departments of cardiology, endocrinology, pulmonology and nephrology, among others.

Jaitley was initially admitted for a check-up after he complained of uneasiness but his condition kept deteriorating, and he was put on a life-support system.

BJP leader Sudhanshu Mittal said that the cremation will take place on Sunday afternoon at Nigambodh Ghat.

Jaitley had a history of medical conditions, including diabetes and kidney failure. He underwent a kidney transplant last year in May, and a bariatric surgery in September 2014.

Jaitley had opted out of the government citing poor health when the second National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in on May 30.

“With the demise of Arun Jaitley Ji, I have lost a valued friend, whom I have had the honour of knowing for decades. His insight on issues and nuanced understanding of matters had very few parallels. He lived well, leaving us all with innumerable happy memories. We will miss him!” tweeted PM Modi, who is in the United Arab Emirates on the second leg of a three-nation visit.

Modi spoke with Jaitley’s wife Sangeeta and son Rohan to express his condolences. “Both of them insisted that PM does not cancel his current foreign tour,” a person aware of the conversation said.

Jaitley has had a history of medical conditions, including diabetes and kidney failure.