India grieves the demise of a remarkable leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tweeted after the death of former union minister and BJP veteran Sushma Swaraj at Delhi's AIIMS hospital. Sushma Swaraj was brought to AIIMS between 9:30 pm and 10 pm on Tuesday and was straight away taken to the emergency ward where she died of a cardiac arrest.
PM Modi, remembering the former Foreign Affairs minister, tweeted that "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," the PM tweeted.
"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," PM Modi tweeted.
PM Modi was referring to her extraordinary response through her term as Foreign Minister to tweets that sought help from her. They ranged from seeking information on relatives stranded in avalanches in other countries to families who needed help in bringing a relative's body home from a foreign nation.
The prime minister said Sushma Swaraj 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," the PM added.
The 67-year-old had not been keeping well lately, which is why she had not contested the recently held Lok Sabha election and opted out of PM Modi's new government.
Earlier this evening, Ms Swaraj had tweeted congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the passage of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation bill in parliament.
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