Hundreds Pay Homage To Sushma Swaraj At Her Delhi Residence
Sushma Swaraj’s body will be taken to BJP headquarters from her residence and then to the Lodhi Road crematorium for her funeral.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top political leaders, including Congress’ Sonia Gandhi, were among the hundreds of people who paid their last respects to former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at her residence in Delhi today.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader succumbed to cardiac arrest at All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the national capital yesterday night. She was 67.
Home Minister Amit Shah, who also went to Swaraj’s residence, said her death has created a great void that would be hard to fill.
“Crores of people who loved her are sad and will miss her. She was a bright star of Indian politics and an able administrator,” Shah told reporters after the visit. “In the last five years as foreign minister, she made India proud globally... Her absence will be felt for a long time. I pray that she rests in peace.”
BJP patriarch LK Advani, who was known as Swaraj's mentor, was tearful as he filed past the body of his long-time compatriot. She was a promising young activist who he had inducted into his team, he said.
“And over the years, she became one of the most popular and prominent leaders of our party—in fact, a role model for women leaders,” Advani said. “A brilliant orator, I was often amazed at her ability to recall incidents, events and present them with utmost clarity and eloquence.”
Among the others paid their homage to Swaraj at her Jantar Mantar residence were Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, BJP Working President JP Nadda, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Ghulam Nabi Azad and Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s Brinda Karat.
“We had a relationship of a brother and sister... She maintained cordial relations with leaders of other parties. She did a wonderful job as a foreign minister,” said Azad.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien, BJP leader Hema Malini and Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi also paid their last respects at Swaraj’s residence.
Swaraj’s body will be taken to the BJP headquarters from her residence and then to the Lodhi Road crematorium for her funeral.