Mayawati pays her last respects to Sushma Swaraj

BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday paid her last respects to former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj at latter's residence in Delhi. Swaraj passed away due to a cardiac arrest on Tuesday night.

"Sushma Swaraj ji's demise personally saddens me. She was an able politician, administrator and a good orator. Her personality was very friendly, even with members of the opposition. I pray to nature to give her family the strength to cope with this loss," Mayawati told reporters here.

Earlier, she had tweeted: "The news of the sudden demise of Mrs Sushma Swaraj, senior BJP leader and former union minister, is very saddening. She was not only a very skilled politician and administrator but also an affable woman. Deepest condolences to his family."

Swaraj was admitted to All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) following a deterioration in her health.

According to sources at AIIMS, the 67-year-old was feeling restless at 9 pm and reached the hospital at around 9:30 pm in an ambulance. A team of doctors tried to revive her for 70 to 80 minutes but failed in their attempt. Swaraj was declared dead at 10:50 pm.

Swaraj was appointed the foreign minister in the first term of Modi government in 2014. She opted out of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections citing health reasons.