Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday visited the residence of former union minister Sushma Swaraj, who died on Tuesday, and paid his respects.
A visibly-emotional PM Modi consoled Sushma Swaraj’s husband and daughter and stood for a while next to the departed leader’s body. The prime minister will attend her funeral in the evening, official sources said.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Amit Shah, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh, Sonia Gandhi were among a steady stream of politicians, diplomats and common people who paid tributes to the veteran leaders at her residence.
Susham Swaraj’s body will shortly be taken to the BJP office in central Delhi to enable party workers to pay respects before being taken to the Lodhi Road crematorium for the last rites.
The Union Cabinet may also meet during the day to pass a resolution condoling the demise of Swaraj.
Swaraj, who was India’s first full-time woman foreign minister (Indira Gandhi held additional charge of the ministry when she was prime minister) suffered the cardiac arrest late in the evening and was immediately taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). She died after efforts to revive her failed.
“She was brought to the hospital after she had collapsed at home. She reached AIIMS emergency at about 09:35 pm,” said a hospital spokesperson.
