PM Modi reaches late Arun Jaitley’s home to meet family

New Delhi | Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday reached the house of former Union Minister Arun Jaitley, to offer condolences to his family.

PM Modi was on a three-nation visit to France-UAE-Bahrain when he received the news, and was reportedly asked not to cut short his visit when he spoke to Arun Jaitley’s family to express his grief.

Hours later, he was headed to Jaitley’s south Delhi house to meet the former union minister’s family.

PM Modi paid tributes to Jaitley and extended condolences to the former minister’s wife Sangeeta Jaitley, son Rohan and daughter Sonali. He spent over 40 minutes with the family.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley,66, died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Saturday, where he had been under critical care since August 9.

“I lost my friend Arun”, PM Modi in Bahrain

On Saturday, he was in Bahrain when the news of Arun Jaitley’s death came out. But, he paid his tribute to the departed leader during his address to the Indian community. PM Modi said that my friend Arun went today. He said, “Bahrain, on one side, is full of excitement. The country is celebrating Krishna Janmashtami. At the same time, I am standing amongst you, hiding deep grief and deep pain within me.”

He added, “The friend with whom I walked together in public life, embarked on the political journey together, with whom I remained connected all the time, with whom I faced struggles, dreamt and fulfilled those dream, that friend Arun Jaitley, country’s former defence and finance minister, passed away today.”

“I can’t imagine that I am so far here while my friend has gone away. Some days ago, we lost our former External Affairs Minister Behen Sushma Ji. Today I have lost my friend Arun,” he added.

Also Read: PM Modi pays tribute to late Arun Jaitley, calls him “a political giant”

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