In Jaitley’s death, state has lost a dear friend

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 24

Punjab has lost a dear friend in the death of Arun Jaitley, one of the tallest national leaders, said BJP state unit chief Shwait Malik, while talking to The Tribune on Saturday.

Malik recalled that “Jaitley was the biggest connect of our party with our ally, SAD. With the passing away of Jaitley, the state has lost its connect with one of the senior most BJP leaders in the country. As a member of the Rajya Sabha, I had the chance of seeing the magic of his personality of keeping even the Opposition glued to their seats when he spoke. His clarity of thought was inspirational”. Ever since he became the party incharge for the 2007 Vidhan Sabha elections, Jaitley took to local environs as if he was at home. He always took pride in saying that he had his roots in the land of five rivers, Malik said. Amritsar was special to Jaitley because his mother Ratan Prabha was born and brought up here. His maternal grandfather Ruldu Ram Trikha of Bazaar Khoo Sunarian, situated in the walled city, was a cloth merchant. A distant relative, Rama Trikha, recalled that his mother had a sister and a brother here too.

Meanwhile, Jaitley’s wife Sangeeta is the daughter of former Congress minister Girdhari Lal Dogra, who hailed from J&K. Girdhari Lal’s brothers Kishan Lal and Darbari Lal were settled in the holy city.

In fact, Jaitley himself purchased a house in Amritsar when he contested the elections in 2014. He had replaced the “disgruntled” MP Navjot Singh Sidhu as the SAD-BJP candidate. He, however, lost to Capt Amarinder Singh. Still, he visited the city regularly and was in constant touch with the people and party leaders.

Former BJP state president Manoranjan Kalia said: “Jaitley was the undisputed Chanakya of the BJP politics. He was the architect of the SAD-BJP alliance victory in the 2007 elections. A multifaceted personality, Jaitley was known for his heart of gold, particularly in connecting with those in need of help.” Former BJP president Vijay Sampla said: “Even the Opposition leaders respected him. In fact, when he used to be in a canteen outside his house, during Parliament sessions, it was a routine to see him surrounded by Opposition leaders. He in fact was the troubleshooter for our party.”