Arun Jaitley cremated with full state honours, son Rohan performs last rites

Former finance minister Arun Jaitley was cremated with full state honours at the Nigambodh Ghat here on Sunday.

Jaitley's last rites were performed by his son Rohan Jaitley while several of his family members were also present at the cremation ground. It started to rain as soon as the funeral pyre was lit by the late leader's son.

A number of politicians attended the last rites of the late BJP leader. Those in attendance included - Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP working president JP Nadda, Ramesh Pokhriyal, Smriti Irani, Ramdas Athawale, Hans Raj Hans, Gautam Gambhir, Anurag Thakur and Congress leader Kapil Sibal, among others.

Several incumbent BJP chief ministers including Devendra Fadnavis, B S Yediyurappa, Trivendra Singh Rawat and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were also present at Nigambodh Ghat to bid adieu to the party strongman.

Earlier, leaders paid floral tributes to Jaitley at the Ghat before the last rites. Vice-president Naidu was seen in tears as he bid the last adieu to his "friend".

Minister Ramvilas Paswan, Baba Ramdev and many other personalities were also present at the cremation ground.

Before his final journey, Jaitley's mortal remains were kept at BJP headquarters for people to pay tributes. Several friends and colleagues remember their associations with the political stalwart as they walked past his casket wrapped in a tricolour.

Jaitley passed away in New Delhi on Saturday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He was 66.

-ANI