All India

Former Finance Minister Arun jaitley had a long and illustrious political career - rising up the ranks from a student activist to become a Cabinet minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the first Narendra Modi governments.

Arun Jaitley was a man with a deeply analytical mind who helped the BJP find solutions to complex issues, party veteran LK Advani said on Saturday, paying his tributes to the former Finance Minister who died at the Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital where he was undergoing treatment for a few weeks.

India's relations with the UAE are "at their best ever" as bilateral ties have been elevated from a mere "buyer-seller" to that of a comprehensive strategic partnership in the last four years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said as he highlighted the excellent rapport between the leadership of the two countries.

The timing for the cremation of Arun Jaitley's body is yet to be decided, said BJP Working President JP Nadda.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Saturday honoured with the "Order of Zayed", the UAE's highest civilian award, for his efforts to boost bilateral ties between the two nations.

BSP president Mayawati on Saturday said the steps initiated by the Centre to deal with the threat of global recession were good but not enough.

Arun Jaitley, India's former finance minister who gave the nation its biggest tax reform, has died. He was 66.

With the passing away of Arun Jaitley, the country has lost a brilliant parliamentarian, an intelligent statesman and a legal luminary whose advise was trusted by all in public life across the political divide, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in the UAE on an official visit, today spoke with the family of former Union Minister Arun Jaitley, who died at 66, to give his condolences. Mr Jaitley's family told the Prime Minister not to cut short his important engagements abroad, news agency ANI reported.

Top Congress leaders on Saturday condoled the death of former finance minister Arun Jaitley, with party chief Sonia Gandhi saying his contributions to public life will be remembered forever.

Top Congress leaders on Saturday condoled the death of former finance minister Arun Jaitley, with the party saying it was deeply saddened to hear about his demise.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu today said former Union finance minister Arun Jaitley's death is an "irreparable loss" to the nation and a "personal loss" to him.

Venkaiah Naidu said the proposed policy has the vision to provide an India-centred education system that contributes directly to transforming the nation into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor remembered his first meeting with veteran BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who died today at the age of 66, as he paid tribute to the former finance minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said former Union Minister Arun Jaitley, who died at 66, "had an unbreakable bond" with the BJP. PM Modi in a tweet praised Mr Jaitley for his contributions to the nation right from his days as a student leader during the Emergency years of 1975-77, when the Congress's Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister.