Former Union minister Sushma Swaraj no more; Tributes pour in

by news
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August 6, 2019

New Delhi: BJP leader and former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest on Tuesday, August 6. She was 67 years old. Her death was confirmed by AIIMS, New Delhi, where she was admitted for treatment.

According to reports, her mortal remains will be taken from AIIMS to her Delhi residence and will be kept there tonight.

Earlier, she was rushed to AIIMS and was admitted in the ICU where she remained critical. Some reports claimed that the former Union had suffered a massive heart attack. She reportedly died minutes after being admitted.

Swaraj was Minister of External Affairs from May 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi first came to power, till she opted out of the cabinet in May 2019, when the PM came to power for the second time.

During her tenure as EAM, Swaraj won the heart of people offline as well as online. She engaged with everyone online and was one of the few ministers who had a strong social media presence. She was approachable and many who found themselves in a tough situation in a foreign country, turned to her for help knowing that she had their back.

There wasn’t a dry eye when she decided to step away from the ministry earlier this year due to her ill health.

Following the news of her death, Twitter was flooded with tributes from leaders across the political spectrum.

PM Modi, in a series of tweets, condoled her death: “A glorious chapter in Indian politics comes to an end. India grieves the demise of a remarkable leader who devoted her life to public service and bettering lives of the poor. Sushma Swaraj Ji was one of her kind, who was a source of inspiration for crores of people.

“Sushma Ji was a prolific orator and outstanding Parliamentarian. She was admired and revered across party lines. She was uncompromising when it came to matters of ideology and interests of the BJP, whose growth she immensely contributed to.

“An excellent administrator, Sushma Ji set high standards in every Ministry she handled. She played a key role in bettering India’s ties with various nations. As a Minister we also saw her compassionate side, helping fellow Indians who were in distress in any part of the world.

“I can’t forget the manner in which Sushma Ji worked tirelessly as EAM in the last 5 years. Even when her health was not good, she would do everything possible to do justice to her work and remain up to date with matters of her Ministry. The spirit and commitment was unparalleled.

“Sushma Ji’s demise is a personal loss. She will be remembered fondly for everything that she’s done for India. My thoughts are with her family, supporters and admirers in this very unfortunate hour. Om Shanti.”

He is reportedly scheduled to reach Swaraj’s residence at around 12.30 AM to pay tribute.

Condoling her death, President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted, “Extremely shocked to hear of the passing of Smt Sushma Swaraj. The country has lost a much loved leader who epitomised dignity, courage & integrity in public life. Ever willing to help others, she will always be remembered for her service to the people of India.”

“Shocked and saddened by this news. She was a brilliant speaker in Hindi, a genuine “people’s person” in Government &I was proud of our excellent relationship when I chaired the External Affairs Committee. Om Shanti…” tweeted Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

 Taking to Twitter about her death, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said, “I’m shocked to hear about the demise of Sushma Swaraj Ji, an extraordinary political leader, a gifted orator and an exceptional Parliamentarian, with friendships across party lines. My condolences to her family in this hour of grief. May her soul rest in peace. Om Shanti.”

Other prominent leaders such as Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Dinesh Gundu Rao, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, among others also took to Twitter to express their grief at the shocking news.