Arun Jaitley (1952-2019): BJP's Mr. Congeniality with Wit and Wisdom

Cut to the a day in Nov 2015 at the Times Literary Fest. It was the time when BJP was still not supportive of abolishing the draconian anti-LGBT Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and the gay community was depressed by the ruling of the Supreme Court that re-instituted Section 377 which was read down by the Delhi High Court in 2009.

Jaitley, despite being a mainstream politician from the BJP, had the guts to say: "Supreme Court's 2013 verdict banning gay sex is not in accordance with evolving legal jurisprudence and the court needs to reconsider it."

Arun Jaitley was not just a legal luminary, an efficient finance minister or an ace politician who was often seen as the chief trouble shooter of the first Modi government. He was a modern man driven by reason and empathy. He was a friend of the journalists or Fourth Estate as we call it and never shied away from facing them. He was at the same time rooted to the BJP ideology and party discipline. He did not have an RSS origin, but rose to a key position in the BJP.  He never went on a warpath with the party hardliners but was always revered for his sagacity, erudition and for having a mind of his own.

Only Jaitley had the courage to call a spade a spade and support the LGBT community or endear himself to the belligerent opposition of India. He was a bridge between the saffron and the other hues of Indian politics. So much so that as the news of his passing away broke, Congress leader Milind Deora admitted that it was Jaitley who guided him in politics and in Parliament like a true mentor.

Jaitley was also the man who presided over the biggest tax reform of India, the rolling out of the Goods and Services Tax.

A lawyer by profession (senior advocate of the Supreme Court), Jaitley was married to Sangeeta, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir finance minister Girdhari Lal Dogra, since 1982. They had two children, Rohan and Sonali and they both became lawyers following the footsteps of their father.

The 1952 born Jaitley had undergone a renal transplant last year and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal handled the portfolio of Finance for sometime. Due to his ill health, Jaitley could not present the last budget of the Modi government's first term in February. Also the senior politician, who was the finance minister when Modi announced the controversial demonetisation move in 2016, opted out of the second  Modi innings in New Delhi owing to his illness.

After BJP founder Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister in 1999, Jaitley served in multiple ministries.

Jaitley, who remained a Rajya Sabha MP all throughout his political life, became the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting (Independent Charge) and the Minister of State for Disinvestment (Independent Charge).

He also served the Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs and Shipping. Jaitley handled the portfolios of Information and Broadcasting, Defence, Corporate Affairs and Finance in different times in the Modi government. However, he remained the Defence Minister for a short period of time after late Manohar Parrikar left the post to become the Goa Chief Minister in 2017.

Under his leadership, India got its biggest tax reform. In the midnight of July 1, 2017, then President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Modi and Jaitley rolled out the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to streamline the tax regime in the country.  

Highlights of a political journey:

Jaitley's joining in BJP

Arun Jaitley, a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, was an Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) student leader at the Delhi University. ABVP is the student's wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

He became the president of the Delhi University's Students Union in 1974.

Rising in politics

Jaitley was a prominent leader in the anti-corruption movement which was launched by Raj Narain and Jayaprakash Narayan. During the national emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Jaitley was also detained for 19 months.

In 1977, he became the president of the Delhi ABVP and the organisation's All India Secretary. Very quickly after joining the BJP, Jaitley was appointed as the president of the party's youth wing and the secretary of the Delhi unit in 1980.

Representing BJP

After years of students politics and working for the party's youth wing, Jaitley became of the member of the BJP's national executive in 1991. Before the 1999 General Elections, which saw the BJP's rise in the Indian politics, Jaitley was named as the spokesperson of the party.

Handling of portfolios under PM Vajpayee

After BJP founder Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister in 1999, Jaitley served in multiple ministries.

Jaitley, who remained a Rajya Sabha MP all throughout his political life, became the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting (Independent Charge) and the Minister of State for Disinvestment (Independent Charge).

He also served the Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs and Shipping.

Jaitley's role in Opposition after NDA defeat

After the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) were defeated in the 2004 General Elections, Jaitley was handed over the general secretary's post in the BJP.

He was also picked as the leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha in 2009.

Failed attempt to contest historic election and role in Modi cabinet

In the 2014 General Elections, which saw a tectonic shift in the Indian politics with the rise of Narendra Modi as a national figure, Jaitley made a failed attempt to enter the Lok Sabha. He was defeated by Congress strongman and present Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in the Amritsar seat.

As a Rajya Sabha member, Jaitley handled the portfolios of Information and Broadcasting, Defence, Corporate Affairs and Finance in different times in the Modi government.

However, he remained the Defence Minister for a short period of time after Manohar Parrikar left the post to become the Goa Chief Minister in 2017.

Biggest tax reform under Jaitley

Under the leadership of Union Finance Minister Jaitley, India got its biggest tax reform, the process of which started years ago under former West Bengal Finance Minister and Left leader Asim Dasgupta.

In the midnight of July 1, 2017, then President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Modi and Jaitley rolled out the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to streamline the tax regime in the country.

Ill health and opt out of Modi cabinet

Writing a letter to Prime Minister Modi soon after the 2019 General Elections, which saw the BJP's return to power, Jaitley opted himself out of the BJP cabinet. He asked Modi to consider his ill heath and requested him not to give any portfolio.

(Writing by Sujoy Dhar and Souvik Ghosh)

Images: PIB