Will miss Jaitley's contribution as leader and as a person: Sumitra Mahajan

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan expressed condolences over the demise of senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley.

"We all were trying to accept this fact since a long time but our hearts were unable to accept it. We will miss his contribution as a leader and as a person. He was suffering a lot due to his ill-health. He is no more and it's a big loss to us. May his soul rest in peace," said Mahajan while addressing the media.

"We used to make fun of him and call him a 'blue-eyed bird'. He was a smart and intelligent man and many times I used to pull his leg by saying that so many girls must be his fan," she said.

Mahajan went on to say that Jaitley never used to raise his voice and always used to speak to the point. People never used to feel that he was a prominent personality while speaking to him.

Praising Jaitley's intellect, Mahajan said: "He was a jolly-good personality. He used to maintain a friendly relationship with everyone. He had expert knowledge of law and finance. We used to consult him regarding any matter related to law. He had years of experience and he used to do every work with perfection."

"When Arun Jaitley fell ill, I went to meet him and I was so nervous thinking if I would ever be able to meet him again. But then he survived for a few more days and we saw a ray of hope that he might get well. I knew somewhere that hope was not true," she added.

Mahajan recalled many light and happy moments shared with the former Union Minister and his wife, Sangeeta Jaitley.

Former finance minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley passed away here at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) earlier today. He was 66.

( With inputs from ANI )