Now Author Salil Tripathi Alleges Arun Jaitley Threatened Him

In a fresh twist to the ongoing political discourse surrounding the late Indian politician Arun Jaitley, acclaimed author and human rights advocate Salil Tripathi has accused the former finance minister of threatening him during a World Trade Organisation (WTO) summit in Cancun, Mexico, over two decades ago. The allegations surfaced on social media platform X, where Tripathi responded to a post by Jaitley’s son, Rohan Jaitley, who had defended his father’s legacy against claims made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a recent meeting held in Delhi.

Tripathi, known for his books on human rights and international affairs published by houses such as Aleph Book Company and Yale University Press, detailed the incident in a thread that quickly garnered thousands of views and engagements. He recounted that while working for Amnesty International at the time, he had advocated for incorporating human rights protections into proposed WTO reforms. According to Tripathi, Jaitley approached him and warned, “think before you talk, we are watching,” before laughing it off. “Rohan, your father threatened me in Cancun at the WTO summit, because he thought my insistence on human rights protections under new WTO reforms was essential,” Tripathi wrote, though the phrasing suggests he may have intended to convey that Jaitley viewed such protections as unnecessary or obstructive.

The Cancun Ministerial Conference in 2003 was marked by tensions between developed and developing nations over trade liberalisation, agriculture subsidies, and intellectual property rights. Civil society groups, including Amnesty International, pushed for safeguards against potential human rights violations arising from globalisation.

Rohan, your father threatened me in Cancun at the WTO summit, because he thought my insistence on human rights protections under new WTO reforms was essential. I worked for Amnesty International then; he came to me, and said, think before you talk, we are watching, and laughed. https://t.co/u5OFA6pOSO

— Salil Tripathi (સલિલ ત્રિપાઠી) (@saliltripathi) August 3, 2025

Jaitley, then India’s commerce and industry minister under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, led the Indian delegation and was instrumental in forming alliances with other developing countries to block unfavourable proposals.

Tripathi’s role at Amnesty would have placed him in direct opposition to policies that prioritised economic gains over ethical considerations.

Rohan Jaitley, a lawyer and president of the Delhi and District Cricket Association, had initiated the exchange by rebutting Gandhi’s assertion that Arun Jaitley had threatened him regarding India’s controversial farm laws, introduced in 2020—a year after Jaitley’s death in 2019. Rohan described his father as a “staunch democrat” who favoured consensus-building over intimidation, urging respect for the deceased.

Tripathi, however, dismissed this portrayal as an attempt to “whitewash” Jaitley’s image. “I am a small fry, and I am not worried of bad cricket administrators who end up being ministers because they are ideoloigically aligned with fascists,” he retorted, alluding to Jaitley’s association with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and his tenure as a cricket administrator before entering high-level politics.

Tripathi’s thread extended into sharp, satirical responses to critics and supporters alike. When one user sarcastically claimed Gandhi had threatened them over historical events, Tripathi quipped, “I thought Modiji did that. Don’t claim his credit. He’ll cancel your passport and adhar, making you niradhar,” referencing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and its alleged use of administrative measures against dissenters. In another exchange, he expressed surprise at allegations of “sexual exploration” against Rohan Jaitley, stating, “I had no idea. I thought he did everything his father did – becoming a lawyer, being a fascist enabler, and becoming a lawyer. This part is new.” He also mocked a troll who accused him of threats, saying, “I’d believe you if I had an office and if you knew Karate. Since you are a fake troll, paid by Malpua, allow me to laugh at your stupidity :-)”

Responding to journalist Rohini Singh’s comment on Jaitley’s reputed pettiness, Tripathi noted, “Between Jaitley and Bishen Singh Bedi, I know who to believe :-)”, favouring the legendary cricketer Bedi, who had publicly clashed with Jaitley over cricket governance issues. To a Congress supporter lamenting Jaitley’s choices, Tripathi implied agreement without direct reply, but his overall tone painted Jaitley as an enabler of authoritarian tendencies.

While Rohan Jaitley has not yet responded further, the thread has sparked debates on social media.

Arun Jaitley, who served in multiple cabinet roles and was a key BJP strategist, is remembered by supporters for his eloquence and economic reforms. Critics, however, accuse him of suppressing dissent, including through legal means during his time as law minister.

In a lighter jab at Rohan’s Cornell Law School education, Tripathi remarked, “I thought Cornell had standards, Rohan. :-)”