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Sushma Swaraj Funeral Highlights | Former Union Minister Cremated With Full State Honours; PM Modi, Advani Pay Last Respects
Sushma Swaraj Funeral Highlights | Former Union Minister Cremated With Full State Honours; PM Modi, Advani Pay Last Respects
The mortal remains of former external affairs minister sushma Swaraj were laid to rest on Wednesday at Lodhi crematorium in New Delhi, in the presence of her family members, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, VP Venkaiah Naidu and BJP stalwarts like LK Advani, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and others. Swaraj’s daughter Bansuri performed her last rites.
ABP News Bureau
Last Updated:
07 Aug 2019 05:41 PM
I'm deeply saddened to learn of the sudden demise of Sushma Swaraj, Former EAM of India. On behalf of the Govt and people of "Japan", I would like to express my deepest condolences to the bereaved family&people of India: Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India
(ANI)
Other than PM Narendra Modi, Senior BJP leader LK Advani, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are present at Lodhi Crematorium for the last rites of Sushma Swaraj
Prime Minister Modi bids final farewell to BJP veteran and former Union minister Sushma Swaraj
Prime Minister Modi bids final farewell to BJP veteran and former Union minister Sushma Swaraj
Bal Thackeray once backed Swaraj for PM's post: Raut
Sena MP Sanjay Raut paid tributes to Swaraj and recalled that she was Bal Thackeray's first choice as the prime ministerial contender, when current Prime Minister Narendra Modi had still not emerged on the national scene and was active in Gujarat politics.
(PTI)
Bal Thackeray once backed Swaraj for PM's post: Raut
Sena MP Sanjay Raut paid tributes to Swaraj and recalled that she was Bal Thackeray's first choice as the prime ministerial contender, when current Prime Minister Narendra Modi had still not emerged on the national scene and was active in Gujarat politics.
(PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in the last rites of veteran BJP leader and former Union Minister Sushma Swaraj at Lodhi crematorium in New Delhi.
I offer my prayers and my condolences at this difficult time. Sushma Swaraj enjoyed immense respect for her compassionate concern for people and her friendly demeanour. In devoting herself to service of others, she led a very meaningful life: Dalai Lama
(ANI)
The traffic will remain affected near Lodhi Road due to the cremation of former foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, police said on Wednesday. Traffic on Lodhi Road, Lala Lajpat Rai Marg, near Neela Gumbad, Moolchand Flyover, Defence Colony Flyover, Lodhi Road Flyover and on adjoining roads will be affected from 2 pm to 5:30 pm, a senior police officer said.
Geeta, the hearing and speech-impaired woman who returned to India from Pakistan in 2015 following extensive efforts by Sushma Swaraj, on Wednesday said she has lost a 'guardian' and 'motherly figure' in the death of the former external affairs minister.
The Goa legislative assembly on Wednesday condoled the death of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who moved the condolence motion said that Sushma Swaraj was an inspiration to all women and her loss was a major one for the BJP as well as the country.
Crowds chanted 'Jab tak suraj chand rahega didi tera naam rahega' (Her name will endure till as long as the Sun and the Moon), bidding her goodbye after the hearse carrying her left her home.
BJP workers and mourners on Wednesday gathered in large numbers at the party headquarters on Wednesday to pay their last respects to Sushma Swaraj, veteran leader, former external affairs minister and also 'didi' to many of them.
Shocked to learn of the sudden demise of @SushmaSwaraj ji. I will always remember her as a dynamic and sensitive leader with the ability to empathise with the common people. Will miss her. May your soul rest in peace: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh tweeted
The mortal remains of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been brought at BJP headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg. Drapped in saffron BJP flag, the body has been kept for final prayer meet for public till 3 pm. Last rites will take place later in the day.
For me, Sushma Swaraj ji was an elder sister. I was simply stunned yesterday on hearing about her demise. At 8:45 pm I had a talk with her. She said you have to come and take your fees of Re 1 for Jadhav case. Just 10 min post that, she had cardiac arrest: Advocate Harish Salve
World leaders, including Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and UNGA President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, on Wednesday condoled the death of India's former foreign minister Sushma Swaraj.
Crores of people who loved her are sad and will miss her. She was a bright star of Indian politics and an able administrator. In the last five years as foreign minister she has made India proud globally under the leadership of the PM. Her absence will be felt for a long time. I pray that she rests in peace: Home Minister Amit Shah told reporters
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami expressed grief on Wednesday over the death of former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and hailed her contributions to the country. He described Swaraj as one of the highly-respected women leaders in the world of politics and said her demise was a great loss to the country.
The Gujarat government and the ruling BJP have cancelled all their programmes scheduled for Wednesday in view of the death of senior party leader and former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.
Extremely saddened to hear about Sushma Ji's demise. It is an irreparable loss for the country's politics. We have lost a great leader and a brilliant orator who was full of human emotions: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat tweeted
Could not believe that she would leave us so soon, still can't. It's a huge loss for the entire country. She always helped people. Whether it was Hamid Ansari, Sarabjit, Geeta or Jadhav, she helped all. May her soul rest in peace: Sarabjit Singh's Sister Dalbir Kaur
My heartfelt condolences to the family. I pray the Almighty to give your benign self, all the family members, followers&well-wishers the strength to overcome this tragedy: Former PM and JDS leader HD Deve Gowda writes to Swaraj Kaushal, husband of late former Union Min, Sushma Sawraj
The Haryana government on Wednesday declared a two-day state mourning as a mark of respect for senior BJP leader and former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who passed away a day ago.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi pay last respects to former External Affairs Minister and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.
With a feeling of deep sorrow we came to know about premature passing away of Sushma Swaraj. Please accept my deepest condolences on this irreparable loss of your predecessor, India's outstanding politician and diplomat: Nikolay R Kudashev, Russian Ambassador to India
Union minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday said as a BJP worker, a true tribute to former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj would be by devoting one's life to the cause of women upliftment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived at the resident of Sushma Swaraj in the national capital to pays last respects. He met and extended condolences to the family memebers of the former External Affairs Minister. PM Modi will also attend her last rites scheduled to take place later in the day today.
Senior BJP leader LK Advani shares condolence message on Sushma Swaraj's death:
I am deeply distressed at the untimely demise of one of my closest colleagues, Sushma Swaraj ji. Sushmaji was someone who I have known and worked with since the beginning of her illustrious innings in the Bharatiya Janata Party. When I was the President of the BJP in the eighties, she was a promising young activist who I had inducted into my team.
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. A brilliant orator, I was often amazed at her ability to recall incidents, events and present them with utmost clarity and eloquence. Sushmaji was also a fine human being.
She touched everyone with her warmth and compassionate nature. I do not recall a single year when she missed bringing my favourite chocolate cake to me on my birthday. The nation has lost a remarkable leader.
To me, it is an irrepairable loss and I will miss Sushmaji’s presence immensely. May her soul rest in peace. My heartfelt condolences to Swaraj ji, Bansuri and all members of her family. Om Shanti.
BJP national working president JP Nadda pays last respect to former External Affairs Minister and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, at her residence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to arrive shortly.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pay last respect to former External Affairs Minister and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj at her residence, shortly. He will later attend her last rites in the evening.
The nation has lost a remarkable leader. To me, it is an irreparable loss and I will miss Sushmaji’s presence immensely. May her soul rest in peace. My heartfelt condolences to Swaraj ji, Bansuri & all members of her family. Om Shanti: Senior BJP leader LK Advani
Was waiting to see this day in my lifetime: Swaraj's last tweet
Just hours before her demise, BJP stalwart Sushma Swaraj Tuesday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the government revoked the special status for Jammu and Kashmir, saying that she was waiting to see this day in her lifetime.
@narendramodi ji - Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you very much. I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime: Swaraj tweeted.
Very tough to believe Sushmaji is no more. Worked very closely with her in d last several years. She was a great leader no doubt, but more than that an outstanding human being with utmost positivity, a rarity these days. Irreparable loss. Tearful homage: BJP leader Ram Madhav said.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's press meet has been cancelled following the demise of former External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj. Birla was supposed to hold a press meet today.
Saddened by the news of the passing of @SushmaSwaraj, an extraordinary woman & leader who devoted her life to public service. I had the honor of meeting her in my visits to #India, & will always remember her fondly. My deepest condolences to all of her loved ones @IndiaUNNewYork: President of the 73rd Session of UN General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés tweeted
We express our sincere condolences to the people of India on the premature passing away of the former Foreign Minister of this friendly country: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia
Delhi Govt will observe 2-day state mourning as mark of respect in memory of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, deputy CM Manish Sisodia announced.
Baba Ramdev has reached Sushma Swaraj's residence in New Delhi to pay last respects to the deceased BJP leader. Leaders from BJP and other parties are also present.
My heartfelt condolences to the family of Smt. Sushma Swaraj ji. India has lost one of its most respected leaders, parliamentarians and stateswoman. #RIPSushmaJi #SushmaSwaraj: Amar Singh tweeted.
Deeply grieved to hear the demise of my good friend Sushma Swaraj; Stateswoman extraordinaire, diplomat par excellence; A warm human being. Key architect of renewed Maldives-India friendship. May she rest in peace: Abdulla Shahid, Foreign Minister of Maldives said.
Deeply saddened, shocked at the sudden passing away of Sushma Swaraj Ji. I knew her since the 1990s. Even though our ideologies differed, we shared many cordial times in Parliament: TMC Chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee tweeted.
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has condoled the death of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. The Chief Minister in his condolence message recalled the services she rendered for the nation in different capacities.
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.
Passing away of Sushma ji is an irreparable loss. People of the country will remember her contribution for a long time. Whenever any Indian got into trouble, didi took care of it herself, even when it came to the return of a single nurse from abroad: Union Minister Piyush Goyal
Delhi loses three former CMs in less than a year
With Sushma Swaraj's demise on Tuesday night, the national capital has lost three former chief ministers in less than a year. Swaraj, who was the chief minister of Delhi for a brief period from October-December 1998, passed away on Tuesday night due to cardiac arrest.
Three-time chief minister and veteran Congress leader Sheila Dikshit passed away in July this year due to cardiac arrest.
Madan Lal Khurana, who was the chief minister from 1993-96, also passed away in October last year.
Deeply shocked to learn of the passing away of Sushma Swaraj, a senior political leader of India and former External Affairs Minister. Heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the Govt and people of India as well as to the bereaved family members: Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli said.
Sushma Swaraj to have her last rites with full state honours:
Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who passed away on Tuesday night due to cardiac arrest, will have her last rites conducted today at Lodhi road crematorium with full state honours, BJP Working President Jagat Prakash Nadda was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
DMK president M K Stalin on Tuesday night condoled former external affairs minister BJP leader Sushma Swaraj's death, hailing her for scaling new heights in public life with by her efficient work.
Shocked to hear about the sad demise of Sushmaji Swaraj. She would always call me 'Sharad Bhau'. We’ve lost a great statesman, eloquent orator, efficient administrator, fellow parliamentarian and above all a kind hearted person: NCP Chief Sharad Pawar wrote on Twitter
Swaraj’s body will be kept at her home until 11 am Wednesday and will then be taken to the BJP headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg. The last rites will be performed at the Lodhi crematorium.
Extremely sorry to hear about the sad demise of Sushma Swaraj ji. She was a true Democrat an excellent Parliamentarian and excelled as an outstanding Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha. More in the Atal ji's mould than Modi ji's. We would miss her. May her Soul rest in Peace: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh
Indian diaspora condoles Swaraj's demise
The Indian diaspora condoled the demise of former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and remembered her as a 'caring' and 'remarkable' leader.
Sushma Swaraj ji's demise personally saddens me. She was an able politician, administrator and a good orator. Her personality was very friendly, even with members of opposition. I pray to nature to give her family the strength to cope with this loss: BSP Chief Mayawati said.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Governor Phagu Chauhan on Tuesday condoled the demise of former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. Kumar, who was Swaraj's cabinet colleague in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, described her as a great orator, an energetic and efficient leader who had many talents.
Several senior ministers, including Harsh Vardhan, Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani Prakash Javadekar, reached AIIMS after she was admitted to the hospital.
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: PM Narendra Modi expressed grief in a series of tweets.
The senior BJP leader was brought to AIIMS around 9:30pm and was straight away taken to the emergency ward. AIIMS doctors said she died of a cardiac arrest.
Background
NEW DELHI: Former External Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj passed away on Tuesday night here at AIIMS. She was 67. Hospital said Sushma was brought to AIIMS at 10:20 pm and was straight away taken to the emergency ward. "Former Union Minister Sushma Swaraj has passed away. She suffered a cardiac arrest. Was administered CPR but did not respond," the hospital said in a statement. AIIMS doctors said she died of a cardiac arrest.
Several senior ministers, including Harsh Vardhan, Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani Prakash Javadekar, reached AIIMS after she was admitted to the hospital.
Swaraj had put out a tweet in the evening congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Centre's bold move to revoke special status for Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the border state into two Union Territories secured Parliament's approval.
"Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you very much. I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime," she said.
She is survived by her husband Swaraj Kaushal and daughter Bansuri. Swaraj had a kidney transplant in 2016.
Condoling her demise, Prime Minister Narendra said: "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, Modi said.
Prime Minister Modi, in his tweets, 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.
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.
"I'm shocked to hear about the demise of Sushma Swaraj Ji, an extraordinary political leader, a gifted orator & 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," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter.
Sushma Swaraj, who was External Affairs Minister during the previous term of Modi government, did not contest the Lok Sabha elections this time, declaring that her health did not permit her to enter the fray and campaign.
During her tenure as the External Affairs Minister, she was very popular among the Indian diaspora and the compatriots stranded anywhere on earth.
Just one tweet tagging her about any problem any Indian faced anywhere and she would immediately swing into action and activate the Indian mission in those countries for help.
When the BJP was in Opposition during the UPA government from 2004 to 2014, Sushma Swaraj was the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a successful one.
She was first elected as a MP in 1990 and became a member of the Rajya Sabha.
The BJP brought her in as chief minister of Delhi in 1998 months before the assembly elections to shore up the party's fortunes. She remained in the post for about three months.
A lawyer by training, Sushma Swaraj went all the way to Bellary in Karnataka to challenge Sonia Gandhi in the 1999 Lok Sabha election. Though she lost, she gained in stature in the party and outside by her spirited campaign. The BJP was able to form its government in Karnataka ten years later, the party's first government in south India.
Sushma Swaraj was among the leaders considered prime ministerial candidates in the party before the 2014 Lok Sabha election. She was also not considered close to Modi in political circles and had apparently not batted for him in the way some of her other colleagues had done.
However, this did not diminish her standing in the party and she was virtually placed at number three in the cabinet, having taken oath of office after Modi and party president Rajnath Singh.