New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha members along with Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday paid tributes to former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who died on Tuesday , and observed two minutes silence as a mark of respect to her memory.
“I rise in deep sorrow with a heavy heart to inform the house of the sudden demise of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. She was a member of the House for three terms- April 1990 to April 1996, April 2000 to April 2006 and April 2006 to May 2009. She was also elected to the Lok Sabha four times in 1996. 1998, 2009, and 2014. She was first elected to the Haryana legislature in 1977,” Naidu said.
“She brought a human touch to the Ministry of External Affairs and was very accessible. She played an effective role in the rescue of many Indians around the world. She was an effective orator and had equal command on both Hindi and English. In her untimely demise, the nation has lost an able administrator, an effective parliamentarian and a true voice of people,” he added.
The members observed silence as a mark of respect.
Sushma Swaraj passed away at AIIMS last night at 10.50 after suffering a cardiac arrest. Delhi Government has announced a two day State mourning in respect to Sushma.
The mortal remains of the late Sushma Swaraj has been brought to the Lodhi Road crematorium. In the morning her body was kept at her residence and then taken to the BJP headquarters which is a few kilometers from her home. Thousands accompanied her body shouting slogans in honor of one of the prominent BJP leader.
Sushma Swaraj’s mortal remains will be cremated with full state honors in a short while.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and senior BJP leader L. K. Advani were among the prominent members who reached Sushma Swaraj’s home to pay respects and to console the family members.
The untimely demise of the seasoned leader came as a shock to many and thousands of tributes are pouring in from across the country and from all around the world. Her stint as the External Minister was filled with humane stories of how she went out of the way to help people in dire need of help. Her accessibility made it possible for anybody with a genuine and dire need to approach her without any formal request.
Sushma Swaraj’s passing is a great source of sadness for the nation and millions mourn her death along with her family.
