Mumbai, Aug 24 (IANS) As the news of former Union Minister and veteran BJP leader Arun Jaitley's demise broke out, a string of Bollywood personalities including Lata Mangeshkar, Anil Kapoor and Ajay Devgnn took to social media to share condolences.

Jaitley passed away on Saturday after prolonged illness. He was 66.

He had been admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on August 9 after he complained of breathlessness. His condition steadily deteriorated, and he was put on life support. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart underwent dialysis on Thursday.

Here's what the celebrities tweeted:

Lata Mangeshkar: Deeply saddened by the sad demise of Arun Jaitleyji. A dynamic leader, a thorough gentleman and our former Finance Minister. Very kindly, he had come over to meet me and we spoke for a long time. Will cherish those memories. Heartfelt condolences to the family.

Anil Kapoor: Met Shri Arun Jaitleyji almost 20 years back for the first time & have been his admirer ever since. His demise is a huge loss for our nation.
Will be truly missed. My heartfelt condolences to the family.

Ajay Devgn: Deeply saddened by Arun Jaitleyji's demise. Admired his dynamic vision for India; he was a leader I'm happy to have interacted with. My thoughts are with his family in their hour of grief. RIP Arunji.

Sunny Deol: Nation loses another great leader.Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Arun Jaitley.

Nimrat Kaur: Deepest condolences and heartfelt grief on the passing of Arun Jaitleyji. Never had the opportunity to meet him but always felt great fortune in sharing the same college as him. His contributions and remarkable legacy remain exemplary for generations to come. RIP Arun Jaitley.

Riteish Deshmukh: Deeply saddened by the passing away of Shri Arun Jaitleyji... deepest condolences to the family and loved ones.

Vivek Agnihotri: Always a winner. And humble. This photo after his victory in DU elections. Arun Jaitley.

--IANS dc/vnc