Arun jaitley man of multiple talents

Arun jaitley man of multiple talents

His charm and influence cut across party lines.

Affable, articulate, analytical, accessible, astute and the ultimate Delhi insider, Arun Jaitley served the country and his party well, before passing away at the relatively young age of 66. As finance minister in the first Modi government, he oversaw the introduction of the goods and services tax, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, and institutionalisation of the Monetary Policy Framework. He also served as the minister of the Union for commerce, information and broadcasting, law, divestment, corporate affairs and defence. His adroit handling of the GST Council saw non-partisan functioning of the body that has finance ministers of Opposition-run states as members. Jaitley was the archetypal representative of a right-of-centre modernity that combined social liberalism, free-market economics and nationalism, embodying a spirit that his party, we hope, will aspire to realise.

As a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Sangh Pariwar, he played an active role in the anti-Indira Gandhi agitation, which culminated in the imposition of Emergency in 1975. Thereafter, he ascended rapidly through the ranks of the Jana Sangh, which later became the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His growth was aided by familiarity with many in the National Capital, natural intelligence, training in commerce and law, interest in sports and an ability to bridge the gaps between politics, courtroom, business and media. His catholicism was reflected in the list of his legal clients: Janata leader Sharad Yadav, Congressman Madhavrao Scindia, BJP patriarch LK Advani — and most famously, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. He represented PepsiCo against Coca Cola and Coca Cola against Rajasthan. As strategist, he oversaw BJP activity in at least a dozen states.

He was an early defender of the UPA’s nuclear deal with the US in 2008 while much of his party opposed it. Jaitley lost the only Lok Sabha election he contested, but the party relied on his advice, opinion and aptitude for making a public argument. He will be missed.