"Her Vision Will Always Inspire": S Jaishankar's Tribute To Sushma Swaraj

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar today paid tribute to his predecessor and BJP veteran Sushma Swaraj on her 68th birth anniversary. 

"Remember Sushma Swaraj, today more than ever. Her warmth, dedication and vision will always inspire us," Mr Jaishankar tweeted. 

In honour of Sushma Swaraj, the government had on Thursday renamed the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra and the Foreign Service Institute after her. 

The illustrious leader, who brought rare empathy and a humane approach to India's diplomacy as foreign minister, died on August 6 last year after a cardiac arrest.  

Sushma Swaraj was one of the most followed foreign ministers on Twitter globally. She was known for her quick response to calls for help from Indians stranded abroad. 

Sushma Swaraj had many firsts to her credit -- the youngest cabinet minister in the Haryana government, the first woman chief minister of Delhi and the first woman spokesperson for a national political party in the country. 

She was the Information and Broadcasting minister in the 13-day Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1996 and got the Cabinet portfolio again after he led the BJP to power in 1998.

Long seen as a protege of veteran BJP leader LK Advani, she also was the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha between 2009-14.