New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Remembering late BJP leader Arun Jaitley on his birthday, vice president M Venkaiah Naidu said on Saturday the country is missing the former Union minister as an enlightened debate on issues faced by the nation is the need of the hour.

Releasing a book -- "The Renaissance Man: The Many facets of Arun Jaitley" -- at his residence, Naidu said he misses his former colleague Jaitley.

"I would like to say one thing today the book will be useful for the youngsters and those who want to be in public life. They should know about the life and way of functioning of Arun Jaitley.

"There is a need for enlightened debates on larger issues faced by the country. People are missing Arun Jaitley. We are missing Arun Jaitley in public life," he said.

Referring to Jaitley's deft handling of the economy at a critical time, the vice president said that his persuasive skills and the spirit of camaraderie were in full display to evolved a consensus during the tough negotiations with states for passing the Goods and Services Tax.

Stating that Jaitley was a shining example of a leader with 4Cs -- Character, Calibre, Capacity, and Conduct -- Naidu expressed concerns that there was a worrisome trend in politics with people bringing in other 4Cs- Caste, Community, Criminality, and Cash.

He asked aspiring politicians to emulate qualities of Jaitley and serve the nation.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)