Jaitley was 'stalwart' of our profession: lawyers

The lawyers' fraternity remembered former union minister Arun Jaitley as a "stalwart" and a "helpful and a great human being" whose demise was a huge loss for the profession.

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The Bar Associations across the national capital are planning to hold seminars to carry forward his legacy and to "make the younger generation learn from his life".

Jaitley, 66, passed away at the AIIMS here on Saturday. He was undergoing treatment at the hospital, where he was admitted on August 9.

Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) president senior advocate Mohit Mathur, who was also from the same school where Jaitley studied, said it was a "personal loss" while remembering him as "very helpful and a stalwart".

"He was a leader of the Bar and a stalwart. He was always helpful for lawyers and people in general. It's very recently when we approached him for a lawyers' welfare association and he helped us wholeheartedly.

"It was a personal loss for me. He was from the same school, where I went to study later. Whenever we organised anything on behalf of the school alumni association, he used to participate and help us out very enthusiastically," Mathur said.

He said the Executive Committee of DHCBA will meet and decide to hold programmes in Jaitley's honour.

Jaitley was 1969-batch student of St. Xavier's Sr. Sec. School.

R K Wadhwa, Chairman of the Coordination Committee of All Bar Associations of Delhi, said that seminars will be held to highlight Jaitley's work and life so that young lawyers can learn from him.

"He was a great lawyer. His untimely demise is very sad for the entire country, especially for the legal fraternity. He was a wonderful lawyer, politician but above all a great human being," he said.

"We will be holding seminars highlighting his work so that young lawyers can learn about him. The real tribute to him will be making young budding lawyers learn from his work," Wadhwa said.

New Delhi Bar Association's Secretary Nagendra Kumar said Jaitley's demise has created a "vacuum" in the legal fraternity and was a "huge loss" for the profession.

He also stressed on holding seminars to highlight his works for the younger generation "who have heard a lot about him but were not fortunate enough to see him arguing before the courts and learn".

A former office-bearer of the Delhi High Court Bar Association, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa said, "I feel pained to hear about the sad demise of Arun Jaitley. He was a magnificent person, phenomenal lawyer, an accomplished politician and a great leader, who achieved unprecedented success both in the legal and political life. He never walked alone; always with his team."