Sushma Swaraj passes away: Successor S Jaishankar says ‘Whole nation grieves, Foreign Ministry even more so’

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar expressed his regret over the demise of his predecessor Sushma Swaraj. The veteran BJP leader and former Union Minister breathed her last in New Delhi after suffering a cardiac arrest. 

Tributes and condolences started pouring in after the shocking news surfaced. 

Dr Jaishankar was one of them, who wrote that it was difficult for him to accept. He added that the whole nation is in grief, but the Foreign Ministry, where Sushma Swaraj served for five years in the first Prime Minister Narendra Modi government, even more.  

Dr Jaishankar tweeted, “Deeply shocked to learn of the passing away of Smt Sushma Swaraj. Difficult to accept this news. The whole nation grieves, the Foreign Ministry even more so.” 

 Sushma Swaraj passed away at the AIIMS Hospital in Delhi on Tuesday. She was 67.

She had been taken to the hospital at 8.45 PM after suffering from a cardiac arrest. 

Moments before her death, she had expressed her delight over the successful passage of the bill to revoke Article 370 in the Parliament,  

She had tweeted, “प्रधान मंत्री जी - आपका हार्दिक अभिनन्दन. मैं अपने जीवन में इस दिन को देखने की प्रतीक्षा कर रही थी. @narendramodi ji - Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you very much. I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime.” 

Sushma Swaraj had served as the External Affairs Minister in the first Prime Minister Narendra Modi government from 2014 to 2019. 

She became the second woman, after former PM Indira Gandhi to hold that portfolio. In many firsts, she was BJP's first female Chief Minister, Union Minister, General Secretary, Spokesperson, leader of Opposition and even the first Minister of External Affairs.