President, PM Modi condole death of Sushma Swaraj

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj who passed on Tuesday due to cardiac arrest.

"Extremely shocked to hear of the passing of Smt Sushma Swaraj. The country has lost a much-loved leader who epitomised dignity, courage & integrity in public life. Ever willing to help others, she will always be remembered for her service to the people of India," President tweeted.

Recalling Sushma's work, the Prime Minister said a prolific orator and set high standards in every ministry she handled.

"Sushma Ji was a prolific orator and outstanding Parliamentarian. She was admired and revered across party lines. She was uncompromising when it came to matters of ideology and interests of the BJP, whose growth she immensely contributed to," the Prime Minister tweeted.

The Prime Minister said that Sushma 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 tweeted.

"I can't forget the manner in which Sushma Ji worked tirelessly as EAM in the last 5 years. 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," PM Modi said in another tweet.

The Prime Minister said Sushma's demise is a personal loss. "She will be remembered fondly for everything that she's done for India. My thoughts are with her family, supporters and admirers in this very unfortunate hour. Om Shanti," he added.

The 67-year-old Swaraj was admitted to All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after her health condition deteriorated.

After Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Bill, 2019 was passed by Lok Sabha, Swaraj thanked PM Modi and said she was waiting to see this day in her lifetime. Notably, it was her last tweet. "@narendramodi ji - Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you very much. I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime," she tweeted.

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.During her tenure, the BJP leader had been active and popular on Twitter reaching out to the Indian diaspora in distress for assistance.