Bhubaneswar: The state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday organised an all-party memorial service for late Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Bhubaneswar. Leaders cutting across party lines attended the event and poured light into the life and times of the BJP stalwart.
Governor Ganeshi Lal, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Assembly Speaker Surya Narayan Patro among others remembered Jaitley at the event and praised his contributions to Indian politics.
“I shared a personal relation with Jaitley ji. His mentorship steered me through doubt and dilemma and always had a calming influence on me. He loved Odisha and Odias,” said Pradhan.
“I have fond memories of him. He personally framed sentences in the Budget speech for allocating funds to commemorate the 200 years of Paika rebellion. Good times or difficult, Jaitley ji was a man for all seasons. I pray to Lord Jagannath to bless his family & grant peace to his departed soul,” he added.
He went on to remember how Jaitley allocated funds for Lord Jagannath’s Nabakalebara and approved the commemorative coins for the same.