Kejriwal, Sisodia mourn death of former Union Minister
New Delhi: Despite allegations of corruption levelled by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against then Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over financial irregularities in the Delhi District Cricket Association, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday took no time to condole demise of Jaitley, who breathed his last at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on Saturday after a prolonged illness.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia on Saturday mourned the death of former Union Minister Arun Jaitley, saying his death is a huge loss and he will be missed.
"Untimely demise of former Finance Minister and senior leader Jaitley is a huge loss to the nation. A legal luminary and an experienced political leader known for his governance skills will be missed by the country. Thoughts and prayers with his family in this moment of grief. RIP," Kejriwal tweeted.
Sisodia said he is extremely shocked to hear about the passing away of Jaitley. "I had known him for many years and always found him to be knowledgeable and sincere. Will miss him," he tweeted.
But Jaitley's career in politics was not as clean as the mainstream media is portraying. Jaitley was accused of rampant corruption during his tenure as the president of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). The accusations came from his own party-man and former BJP MP Kirti Azad. Kirti was part of the 1983 World Cup-winning team. Not just from Kirti Azad, but the corruption charges were echoed by legendary cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi government under Kejriwal set up a 3-member committee to investigate the alleged corruption charges and financial mismanagement in DDCA. The committee recommended BCCI to suspend DDCA immediately.
In December 2015, Jaitley filed a defamation suit against Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi high court claiming Rs 10 crore as damages. The legal battle between Jaitley and Kejriwal ended after the then finance minister accepted Delhi chief minister's apology over his 'scandalous' remarks in connection with the alleged corruption case.
