Indian PM, president pay last tributes to Sushma Swaraj

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the leaders who paid their last respects today to former External Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj who died here of a massive cardiac arrest last night.

Modi visited the residence of Swaraj and paid his respects. A visibly overwhelmed Modi consoled the family members of Swaraj who left behind her husband Swaraj Kaushal and daughter Bansuri, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

The prime minister will attend her funeral in the evening, official sources said. Swaraj will be cremated with state honours.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also visited the late leader's residence. BJP national working president JP Nadda also paid his last respects to the senior party leader, reports the correspondent.

Earlier, Modi took to the twitter to pay rich tributes to Swaraj.

"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," he said in a series of tweets.

Modi hailed Swaraj as a "prolific orator and outstanding parliamentarian" and said 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," Modi said.

"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," he said.

President Kovind said that in Swaraj's death, "the country has lost a much-loved leader who epitomized dignity, courage & integrity in public life. Ever willing to help others, she will always be remembered for her service to the people of India."

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, "Deeply shocked to learn of the passing away of Smt Sushma Swaraj. Difficult to accept this news. The whole nation grieves, the Foreign Ministry even more so." 

The Congress condoled her demise. "We are saddened to hear about the untimely demise of Smt Sushma Swaraj. Our condolences to her family and loved ones," the party said.

Swaraj served as External Affairs Minister in the first Narendra Modi government from 2014 to April 2019 before she opted out of contesting the Lok Sabha elections held a few months ago citing health reasons. 

Though Swaraj's father was associated with the RSS, she began her political career with Janata Party. At the age of 25, she became the youngest minister when she joined the Devi Lal government in Haryana in 1977. She joined the BJP later and rose from the ranks to become one of its most prominent women leaders. 

Swaraj was Information and Broadcasting Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and put up a commendable performance by deft handling of the media during the India-Pakistan Agra summit in 2001 which ended on a sour note.

Known for her oratorical skills, Swaraj took up women's issues within the BJP as well as in public forum.

She also functioned as Health Minister in the Vajpayee government and is credited with initiating the process of building four more AIIMS across India on the lines of the one in Delhi.

Considered a loyalist of BJP veteran L K Advani who oversaw her growth in the party, Swaraj had handled important responsibilities, including that of party General Secretary and spokesperson.

Within months of taking charge as External Affairs Minister, Swaraj made sure that the Ministry was a responsive government institution. A system was put in place where she would respond to distress tweets from Indians stranded across the world and all those Indian nationals who would get in touch with her on social media platforms to complain about problems with their passports and visa. This made her immensely popular.