NEW DELHI: Finance minister in Modi 1.0 and highly-regarded parliamentarian Arun Jaitley passed away shortly after noon on Saturday after a long struggle against diabetes, and more recently soft tissue sarcoma. He was 66.For a person battling multiple illnesses, Jaitley fought till the end, but succumbed to a third cardiac arrest after being revived twice.His passing was deeply and spontaneously mourned by leaders across the ideological spectrum and by people from all walks whose lives he had touched in the course of a sterling legal and political career spanning 45 years. A popular student leader in Delhi University, he shot to prominence after his 19-month incarceration during Emergency , and went on to head such diverse ministries as I&B, commerce, law & justice, and disinvestment.His unifying as well as troubleshooting skills will be missed in government and the BJP. His rousing speeches in Parliament, where he commanded respect on both sides of the aisle, will also be missed. A close associate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi , Jaitley had his ear when it came to sensitive political issues. Modi is said to have been very keen to retain him in his re-elected government, and visited him at home the evening before the swearing-in on May 30, but Jaitley knew his health was too precarious to allow him to do justice to the responsibilities of office.Jaitley leaves behind a legion of friends and admirers, almost every one of whom had a story to tell on Saturday of his warmth, kindness and generosity. A great debater, conversationalist, foodie and history buff, he was a wonderful host and a loyal friend.Sadly, his health was a problem. He was a long-time diabetic. He suffered from serious complications following a weight loss surgery in 2014. Later, he was diagnosed with kidney failure and a transplant was carried out at AIIMS in 2016. Then, in January this year, he was diagnosed with a rare cancer called soft tissue sarcoma. He underwent treatment in US and was doing well before a lung infection worsened and eventually led to his final hospitalisation.As news of his passing spread, there was a rush of visitors at his Kailash Colony residence. They included President Ram Nath Kovind , home minister and BJP president Amit Shah , defence minister Rajnath Singh, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman , party veteran and one-time mentor L K Advani, and Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi of Congress.Doctors at AIIMS said there were occasions in the past few days when it seemed Jaitley may not survive but he recovered. “He showed extreme resilience. There was not a moment of despondency in the last five years as he faced one health scare after another,” said a senior doctor who had been part of the medical team attending to him.Jaitley’s cremation will take place on Sunday afternoon at Nigambodh Ghat .