Expressing profound grief over the demise of BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday said that Punjab has lost one of the most die-hard supporters who always stood up for the state.
Calling the passing away of Jaitley a "personal loss" to the family, Harsimrat said, "The loss is a personal loss to the family because he was more than the family member. Today Punjab has lost one of the most die-hard supporters who always stood up for Punjab and understand its need."
Echoing similar sentiments, Shirom Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said, "He was the type of leader who has relations across the party lines and has good relations with all."
The former finance minister was admitted to the AIIMS earlier this month after he complained of restlessness. Jaitley was placed under observation at the hospital's Cardio-Neuro-Centre.
Several leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other top BJP and Congress leaders had continued to visit Jaitley who was kept on life-support.
Jaitley first became a cabinet minister in the government of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2000. He then also went on to serve as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha from June 2009.
He was appointed the finance minister in the first term of Modi government in 2014. He opted out of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections citing health reasons.
( With inputs from ANI )