New Delhi:
Former Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, a key strategist and chief trouble-shooter of the BJP and the Narendra Modi government during its first term, died on Saturday at the AIIMS in New Delhi after battling multiple health issues for the last several months.
But nothing could keep Jaitley away from taking part in the political activities. Till the time he was admitted back to the AIIMS, Jaitley was active on the social media.
His last tweet was posted on August 7 when he paid his tributes for Tulsidas Jayanti before tweeting how heartbroken he was at the demise of his cabinet colleague Sushma Swaraj, who passed away at the AIIMS following a cardiac arrest on August 6.
Saddened, pained & broken on demise of Sushmaji. She was one of the most outstanding politicians in the Present Era. She distinguished in all positions. She held Senior Positions with the Party, NDA Govt. & while in opposition. She leaves behind a void which is difficult to fill.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) August 6, 2019
Just hours before her demise, Swaraj congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the government revoked the special status for Jammu and Kashmir, saying "I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime".
Taking to Twitter in the evening, Swaraj said: "@narendramodi ji - Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you very much. I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime."
This last tweet of Swaraj and the words used by her left scores of her supporters and admirers in shock and grief.
This was her second tweet in as many days lauding the government over the move to revoke special status for Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the border state into two Union territories.
"I congratulate the Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji for his outstanding performance in Rajya Sabha," she tweeted on Monday after the bills on J&K were passed in the Upper House.
Similarly, Jaitley’s series of tweets on August 6 on the abrogation of Article 370 prove how much he missed politics.
In a thread of 10 tweets, Jaitley congratulated Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for scrapping Article 370.
"Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Home Minister Shri Amit Shah achieved the Impossible with the new Kashmir policy. In my blog today, I have analysed the impact of this decision, and history of failed attempts on resolving the J&K issue," the ailing former Finance Minister had said.
Elaborating on the way J&K was heading, Jaitley said, "The J&K history of the past seven decades shows that the journey of this separate Status has been towards separatism and not integration. It created a separatist psyche. Pakistan was more than enthusiastic in trying to exploit the situation."
Jaitley then delved into the history of militancy in the valley, saying, "By 1989-90, the situation of J&K had gone out of control and separatism with terrorism picked up. Kashmiri pundits, an essential part of Kashmiriat, suffered such atrocities which only the Nazis had inflicted in the past. The ethnic cleansing took place and they had to move out."
J&K integration with India took place in October 1947. Article 370 came into force in 1952, Article 35A came in 1954, four and seven years later respectively. How can Articles 370 and 35A be a condition precedent to merger?
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) August 5, 2019
Jaitley added: "The historic blunders of special status had cost the country politically and financially. Today, when history is being re-written, it proves that Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee's vision on Kashmir was the correct one and Panditji's dream solution has proved to be a failure."
The tweets also show his deep-rooted ideological bent towards the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) whose students' wing was his first political platform.
"In the last seven decades, attempts to resolve the issue proved a disaster, PM Modi decided to follow an alternative approach. The present decision makes it clear that just as the rule of law prevails in other parts of the country, it will equally prevail in the Kashmir valley," read another tweet.
He then stressed on how Kashmir was changing, saying, "The last ten months have not seen any protest. Not even in Srinagar. Law and order enforcement, making life safe for lakhs of Kashmiris and pressuring handful of separatists and terrorists has been at its best. The next logical step obviously is total integration of the State."
"The decision to reverse the situation created by Panditji needed clarity, vision and determination. It also needed political courage. The Prime Minister has created history through his absolute clarity and determination," the ailing politician said, taking a dig at the Congress.
His attacks on the grand old party continued, "India's most beautiful State has not had investments from even the hotel chains. Consequently, there are no new jobs, no revenue for the State. These constitutional provisions are not cast in stone. They had to be removed/diluted through the due process of law that is done now.
"The level of support has compelled several opposition parties to support this move. They sensed the ground reality and do not want to face the wrath of the people. Regrettably, the Congress Party legacy, which first created the problem and then added to it, fails to see reason."
He ended the Twitter thread with a bang, "Congress Party, as a 'headless chicken,' is further consolidating its alienation from the people of India. The New India has changed. Only the Congress does not realise this. The Congress leadership is determined to succeed in its race to the bottom."
