Arun Jaitley to be cremated at Nigambodh Ghat in afternoon

Arun Jaitley's mortal remains will be brought to the party headquarters at the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg. Pic/ANI

New Delhi: Arun Jaitley, the former finance minister will be cremated on Sunday afternoon at the Nigambodh Ghat. According to a Delhi BJP leader, Arun Jaitley's mortal remains will be brought at the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, the party headquarters in New Delhi around 10.30 am for his followers and admirers to pay their last respects and tributes. According to news agency, PTI, from the BJP headquarters, it will be taken to the Nigambodh Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna river around 2.30 pm for performing the last rites, he said.

Also Read: Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray mourn Jaitley's demise

The former finance minister Arun Jaitley passed away at 12.07 pm on Saturday at the AIIMS in New Delhi. The 66-year-old leader was undergoing treatment at the hospital, where he was admitted on August 9. The body was taken to his Kailash Colony residence after his demise at the hospital.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, President Ram Nath Kovind, BJP chief Amit Shah, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and several politicians cutting across party lines offered floral tributes to Jaitley at his residence on Saturday.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, who resumed his public outreach programme early this week, stalled the state-wide yatra's second leg on Saturday. "I am shocked and deeply pained to know about our great leader Arun Jaitley ji's death. It is more painful as we lost another great leader after Sushma Swaraj ji in just a few days. This is my personal loss too," he said.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray said his demise was a personal loss to the Sena. "We lost a support that kept the NDA together. He was an extraordinary leader and he maintained his exclusivity as a person and a politician. He was a trouble shooter for PM Narendra Modi. He always felt that the Sena and BJP should share a cordial bond and never break away," said the Sena chief.

With inputs from PTI

Also Read: Sonia Gandhi to Arun Jaitley's wife: He attracted friends across political spectrum