Former foreign minister Sushma Swaraj passes away

Former foreign minister Sushma Swaraj passes away

Former Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj passed away on Tuesday. She was reportedly admitted to AIIMS, New Delhi after a massive cardiac arrest

Sushma Swaraj passes away at 67

Former Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj passed away on Tuesday. She was reportedly admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi after a massive cardiac arrest. She was 67 years old.

Senior BJP leaders have rushed to the hospital after the news of Swaraj's death broke. Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prahlad Singh Goyal have reached AIIMS. BJP working president JP Nadda has also arrived. Other BJP leaders including Prakash Javadekar, Shahnawaz Hussain, Manoj Tiwari and Mahendra Nath Pandey reached soon after.

Her mortal remains will now be taken to her residence in Delhi, where it will be kept for the night.

During her tenure as the external affairs minister, Swaraj was one of the most like ministers in the first Modi government. Her prompt responses and wit on microblogging platform Twitter often drew admiration.

In her last tweet, Swaraj had congratulated PM Narendra Modi for successfully revoking Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. "@narendramodi ji - Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you very much. I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime," the tweet said.

In a tweet grieving Sushma Swaraj's death, PM Narendra Modi said, "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."

Remembering his old colleague in the Union Cabinet, PM Modi recalled her dedication to her job depsite her falling health.

"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," President Ram Nath Kovind said in a tweet.