A former parliamentarian, an erudite speaker, and an effective communicator during her tenure as the foreign affairs minister, one of the toughest portfolios, of India. Sixty-seven-year-old Sushma Swaraj, the former BJP MP, breathed her last at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, late Tuesday night.
In her last tweet, hours before she was rushed to AIIMS in critical condition, Sushma expressed contentment and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the abrogation of Article 370, without specifically mentioning it.
"@narendramodi ji - Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you very much. I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime," Sushma said.
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Sushma had decided not to contest the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections citing health conditions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said a glorious chapter in Indian politics had come to an end.
He described her demise as a "personal loss".
"India grieves the demise of a remarkable leader," Modi wrote on Twitter.
He said he could not forget how the former external affairs minister worked tirelessly.
"Even when her health was not good, she would do everything possible to do justice to her work and remain up to date with matters of her Ministry. The spirit and commitment was unparalleled," he said.
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Modi said Swaraj was one of her kind, who was a source of inspiration for crores of people.
"Sushma Ji was a prolific orator and outstanding Parliamentarian. She was admired and revered across party lines," he said.
"She was uncompromising when it came to matters of ideology and interests of the BJP, whose growth she immensely contributed to," he added.
Describing her as an excellent administrator, the prime minister said Swaraj 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.
