Former Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley, 66, passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here on Saturday, where he was under treatment for over a fortnight.

Jaitley was admitted to AIIMs on 9 August after he complained of breathing problems. The veteran leader was one of the most articulate defenders of the BJP and as well as policies of its government both within Parliament and outside it. As a Parliamentarian and minister, Jaitley had set a high benchmark of probity.