New Delhi: From buying bread and butter to avoid paying for a breakfast at a Goa hotel to political acumen–leaders across party lines and legal luminaries Wednesday recalled former Union Minister Arun Jaitley’s wit, values and ability to forge consensus at an event to launch a book chronicling his life.
‘The Life and Legacy of Arun Jaitley’, authored by advocate Sumant Batra and published by Om Books International, was released by former Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu at the event in New Delhi.
Naidu, in his address, emphasised the personal and political bond he shared with Jaitley.
“I was fortunate to have known Shri Arun Jaitley closely over many years. We began our careers as student activists around the same time in the 1970s and shared the same ideological convictions. We were both incarcerated during the Emergency. Over several decades, Shri Jaitley and I worked closely together and shared responsibilities in the party as well as the government. Ours was a close friendship built on trust, mutual respect, and understanding,” Naidu said.
Senior Congress leader and MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi recounted how Jaitley once persuaded former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to release a ghost-written book by a “middle-rung” BJP leader who had been unsuccessfully seeking Vajpayee’s time.
“Vajpayee ji was not giving him time despite his repeated requests. I will not name the BJP leader, but I’m sure Venkaiah ji would know,” said Singhvi, before sharing Jaitley’s persuasive argument. “Jaitley told Vajpayee ji that you must release this book as this is the only book which the author himself has not read!”
The anecdote drew laughter and encapsulated Jaitley’s reputation for sharp humour, which Singhvi said was matched by his formidable grasp of complex issues. Recalling their debates in court and Parliament, often on the same day, Singhvi described an instance when Jaitley, then in Opposition, responded impromptu to a question on Jammu and Kashmir.
“I remember someone in Parliament asking something specific about Jammu and Kashmir. Jaitley got up impromptu and solved the jigsaw puzzle of the history of Kashmir and its politics,” said Singhvi, reflecting on the late Union Minister’s command over the subject.
Singhvi also highlighted Jaitley’s role in fostering parliamentary camaraderie, calling him the “quintessential Central Hall man” — a reference to the tradition of cross-party interaction in Parliament’s Central Hall.
“It’s not a building. It’s a concept. The Central Hall is where anybody and everybody sits and says whatever comes to their mind,” Singhvi explained. “Everyone used to chat freely, and there used to be instances when even the PM would drop in,” he added, noting that conversations followed Chatham House rules. These refer to the tradition of conversations that are spoken frankly without releasing a participant’s identity in the public.
Drawing a comparison with other democracies, Singhvi said: “In Bangladesh central hall or in Pakistan central hall, the former outgoing government persons and the incoming people cannot sit together and have that camaraderie, which we have had several times in circles of which Arun (Jaitley) has been an intrinsic part.”
“He believed in it. He belonged to that era. And perhaps it’s a bygone era or at least a diminishing era. In fact, to be technically correct, we have no Central Hall now physically at all,” Singhvi added.
Singhvi shared another lighter moment when CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury delivered a speech arguing that professionals such as doctors and lawyers should not be in Parliament. “Both Jaitley and I came from the two ends of the corridor and told Yechury, ‘You want Parliament to only be a place for the unemployed and the unemployable!’” he said.
Singhvi also mentioned that their mutual friend Suhel Seth had aptly described Jaitley as the ‘Amol Palekar of Indian politics’.
Advocate and former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi shared personal anecdotes that revealed Jaitley’s simpler side. During a family holiday in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir, Rohatgi recalled deciding to split the bill at a hotel dinner they attended with some guests.
“Arun never used to drink, and we were joined by a few other people, so we decided to split the bill. When the bill came, I realised his part was nil and I was charged. When I asked the management, they said he’s the son-in-law of Kashmir (Kashmir ka damaad)—how can we take money from him!” said Rohatgi, referring to the fact that Arun Jaitley’s wife Sangeeta hails from J&K.
Rohatgi also described how their families would holiday together in Goa, where Jaitley’s thrifty streak was on display. To save Rs 100 on hotel breakfast, which wasn’t complimentary at the time, the families would buy butter and bread during morning walks to have breakfast in their rooms.
Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant described Jaitley as the architect of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and the GST reform in India.
Naidu also highlighted Jaitley’s commitment to institutions and his role as leader of Opposition, stressing lessons relevant to contemporary politics.
“This is becoming increasingly rare… Leaders of political parties must not denigrate constitutional bodies for their own political ends or ambitions. This is what we learn from Shri Jaitley’s life and work,” he said, adding: “Sometimes there will be reasons… compelling reasons… agree to disagree.”
“One must understand in the present day politics that we are not enemies, we are only political rivals. This is a basic thing that has to be recognised and respected by all political parties,” Naidu added.
Recalling Jaitley’s problem-solving abilities, Naidu said whenever issues related to the economy or constitutional matters arose within the party, “we used to look towards Arun Jaitley”.
Naidu also shared an anecdote about Jaitley’s role in securing Opposition support for the GST Bill, recounting how Jaitley took him to meet Congress’s Sonia Gandhi.
“When this GST came, Arun told me, let us go to Sonia ji’s house. She called Congress leader Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji also… And then finally, there was a broad agreement on this historic reform,” Naidu said.
Rohatgi also recalled an incident when he travelled to London with Jaitley, who had to return within half an hour of landing after a political crisis was triggered by veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani’s remarks on Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
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