"His death is an irreparable loss for the country and personally to me also. I have no words to express my grief. He was a powerful intellectual, an able administrator and a man of impeccable integrity," Naidu said.

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Naidu and Jaitley had shared a long bond which started in their student days. The duo enjoyed a great rapport while serving in the former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Cabinet and again in the opposition from 2004-2014 and then again in the first Narendra Modi government.

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Explaining his friendship with Jaitley, Naidu had said, "He [Jaitley] was not my political friend but also my personal friend. We use to discuss on various issued pertaining to the country. We were friends since student days. We both were closed to each others family also. I met him on 11th of this month and he assured that he will become normal soon but I never expected that this end will come in such a short time."

Jaitley who passed away in New Delhi on Saturday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) was 66-years-old. Naidu, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were among the many leaders who paid tributes to the former finance minister before the final rites.

Also Read: Arun Jaitley: A political journey 

Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from IANS

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