Leaders mourn Swaraj's demise

Political leaders from various states condoled the death of former external affairs Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday. The veteran leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who breathed her last at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on Tuesday night following a massive cardiac arrest, was 67.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat expressed grief at Swaraj's demise, saying it was an irreparable loss for the country's politics. "Extremely saddened to hear about Sushma Ji's demise. It is an irreparable loss for the country's politics. We have lost a great leader and a brilliant orator who was full of human emotions," he said in a tweet.

Rawat prayed for peace to the departed soul and strength to her family to bear the loss. Rawat's Punjab counterpart, Amarinder Singh, said he was shocked to learn about the former Delhi chief minister's demise and described her as a "dynamic and sensitive" leader.

"Shocked to learn of the sudden demise of @SushmaSwaraj ji. I will always remember her as a dynamic and sensitive leader with the ability to empathise with the common people. Will miss her. May your soul rest in peace!," the senior Congress leader said in a tweet. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also said he was deeply shocked to learn about Swaraj's demise. "It is a personal loss for me," he wrote on Twitter.

B S Yediyurappa, the chief minister of Karnataka, paid his last respects to the departed leader and remembered her association with the southern state. He said Swaraj had a close connection with Karnataka since 1999, when she contested the Lok Sabha polls against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi from Ballari.

"She made it a point to visit Ballari every year for the Varamahalakshmi pooja for a decade. She is fondly remembered by the people for such gestures," Yediyurappa said. "May her soul rest in peace and may god give the strength to his family and loved ones to endure this loss," he said in his condolence message.

Yediyurappa also remembered Swaraj as an excellent orator and an exceptional leader who rose to great heights in her political career as a committed soldier of the country. "Sushma Swaraj served as the minister of external affairs and was the second woman to hold the office after Indira Gandhi. Her proactive outreach to people in distress and accessibility to citizens earned her love and respect from the masses," he said.

The former Delhi chief minister was hailed as India's "best-loved politician by the global media", he added. Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik also expressed grief over Swaraj's demise.

Describing her as a dynamic politician and a symbol of women empowerment who always worked for the country's betterment, he said it was difficult to fill the space left behind by Swaraj. In a condolence message, Malik prayed for peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family in this hour of grief.