New Delhi [India], December 28 (ANI): Sangeeta Jaitley, wife of former Union Minister Arun Jaitley, on Sunday recalled her husband's close association with the people who continue to gather at a park named after him, describing it as a reflection of the affection he earned over the years.

Speaking to ANI, Sangeeta Jaitley said that the space holds deep emotional value for those who knew and admired him.

'He used to walk here. This place represents the affection of these people, who asked the government to have this park named after Arun Jaitley. They also installed a bust of him here as a tribute. His friends, morning walkers, party workers and leaders often gather here. They arrange tea and coffee, sit together, discuss him, and remember his legacy,' she said.

Meanwhile, on Arun Jaitley's birth anniversary, Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid tribute to the former Union Minister.

'Remembering Arun Jaitley Ji on his Jayanti. A peerless constitutional and legal expert and an orator par excellence, Jaitley Ji left an indelible legacy as a parliamentarian and will be remembered for his contribution to several landmark legal issues. His dedicated role in strengthening the party with his sharp legal acumen will live on, withstanding every test of time,' he wrote.

Jaitley first became a Cabinet Minister in the government of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2000. He then served as Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha from June 2009.

He was appointed Finance Minister in the first term of the Narendra Modi government in 2014.

As Finance Minister, Jaitley broke several conventions, from merging the Railway Budget with the General Budget to present a holistic view of the government's finances to advancing the budget presentation to February 1.

It is owing to these breaks of conventions that the 2017 budget presented by Jaitley is remembered as the Budget of many firsts. Other such examples included the announcement of the Economic Survey 2016-17 on January 31, and going paperless for the Budget in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India pitch. (ANI)