Senior BJP leader and considered as the articulate and digital savvy leader Arun Jaitley shockingly died on August 24, 2019. Today, on December 28 India celebrates the leader’s first birth anniversary after his death.
A lawyer by profession, he practised law in the Supreme Court and represented L. K. Advani, Sharad Yadav and Madhavrao Scindia in court. He was at the forefront in the investigations into the Bofors scandal. In 1999, Arun Jaitley was appointed the national spokesperson of the BJP.
In 2009, Jaitley was chosen as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and in 2014 with the BJP coming into power, Jaitley served as the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs in Modi’s cabinet.
Jaitley who rose as a student leader during the Emergency has been the shining face of BJP for a long time. Today, on his first birth anniversary, we have listed all the times Jaitley proved his worth in the parliament houses with powerful words.
The GST argument
Jaitley is known as the man who shouldered the implementation of the historic Goods and Services Tax (GST) system in India. Jaitley spoke for the system in the parliament house with great confidence and the will to take down any and every criticism.
He had powered the BJP’s stand on GST by saying, “Whole Country Will Become One Integrated Market.”
He had said in Lok Sabha, “I am happy that after a lot of efforts over the years, a consensus has been reached and most of the political parties have come out in its support. There will be one tax across the nation. We notice that there are obstacles while transferring goods from one state to another. They will be removed. There will be a seamless transfer of goods and services throughout the country. The whole country will become one integrated market.”
Challenged Sibal on FDI
During the Manmohan Singh-led Congress government, Singh had approved FDI with the option for state governments to not implement. Singh’s FDI proposal was heavily opposed by many in the house.
Jaitley had taken the opportunity to attack Singh and his government, he had alleged that Congress’ allies were forced to support the FDI. He had also challenged Congress leader Sibal to open an FDI store in his constituency.
Jaitley had said, “The elected MPs represent the people of India and most political parties are opposing this. Those who helped your case by abstaining from voting, say that they will not let this roll out in their respective states. Sibal Ji spoke yesterday in favour of FDI in retail. I challenge him to open an FDI retail store in his constituency. Elections are around the corner. He can kick off his poll campaigning from the same FDI store. The people of India that you speak on behalf of, will give their verdict on it.”
Jaitley on the Liberhan Commission's report on Babri demolition case
Arun Jaitley had participated in the Rajya Sabha debate on the Liberhan Commission's report on the Babri demolition case. He had unapologetically made fun of the commission report that had taken 17-year-long years.
Jaitley had pointed out that a judge has to refrain from commenting on politics attached to any case. He had called the report a futile exercise and an unimplementable document.
Jaitley had said, “The first training of a judge is to never enter the political thicket. He looks at the evidence. He looks at the issue which he has to decide and he links the evidence with the issue and comes to a conclusion. He doesn’t go into political disputes. He doesn’t start commenting on ideologies. The Commission is to give a conclusion on findings and evidence and not to give a political opinion. The Commission is a truth-investigator and not a political pundit.”
Jaitley wanted to give up diplomatic niceties after Ottavio Quattrocchi escaped
Jaitley who had always played the smart diplomatic politician, was ready to give up diplomatic niceness when Ottavio Quattrocchi and other Italian marines accused of murdering Indian fishermen had escaped the country.
The fugitives had produced a fake affidavit in the apex court and fooled the then Manmohan Singh-led government.
Jaitley had said, “I think we should forget diplomatic niceties. ‘Once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence, three times is enemy action.’ This is James Bond, Ian Fleming’s famous quote. This now must be treated in the category of an enemy action, that you abduct a person, take him out of the jurisdiction of India and then say, India can go to hell, we are not concerned.”
