Punjab govt announces half-day leave as mark of respect for Sushma Swaraj

The Punjab government on Wednesday declared a half-day leave for all government organizations and government-run schools as a mark of respect for senior BJP leader and former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who passed away due after a cardiac arrest on Tuesday night.

"Punjab govt declares a half-day holiday in govt offices as a mark of respect to Former External Affairs Sushma Swaraj. The holiday will be for the second half of the day (afternoon)," said Punjab government in a statement.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh condoled Sushma Swaraj's demise and tweet, "Shocked to learn of the sudden demise of Sushma Swaraj Ji. I will always remember her as a dynamic and sensitive leader with the ability to empathize with the common people. Will miss her. May your soul rest in peace!".

Punjab government announced a half-day holiday in the state soon after the Government of Delhi announced a two-day state mourning on Wednesday, as a mark of respect for Sushma Swaraj.

"Delhi government has announced a two-day state mourning as a mark of respect in the memory of former chief minister and country's senior leader respected Sushma Swaraj Ji. This means there will be no entertainment events during this period. All other government business and programmes, including the Anganwadi programme at IG Indoor Stadium, will continue as scheduled," said AAP-led Delhi government in a statement.

In a series of tweets, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed grief and paid tribute to the prolific leader.

"India has lost a great leader. Sushma ji was a very warm and remarkable person. May her soul rest in peace. She was the former CM of Delhi. Delhi will pay its respects by observing state mourning for two days," stated Kejriwal in a tweet.

Kejriwal along with deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia also paid their last respects to Sushma Swaraj, at her residence in the national capital.

Swaraj passed away due to a cardiac arrest on Tuesday night. She 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.