Expressing condolences on the death of former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, Union Minister and BJP National President Amit Shah said her demise is an irreparable loss to the BJP and Indian politics.
"The death of Sushma Swaraj ji is an irreparable loss to BJP and Indian politics. On behalf of all BJP workers, I express my deepest condolences to his family, supporters and well wishers," he tweeted.
Shah said Swaraj has left an indelible mark in the Indian politics. "Sushma ji, a seven-time Lok Sabha member and three-time Member of the Legislative Assembly, performed various duties in the Chief Minister of Delhi and the Union Cabinet. Sushma Swaraj became the vocal voice of the BJP as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. We have lost a rare and simple leader," he tweeted.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed condolences and recalled her good work. "Deeply shocked and anguished by the sudden demise of an extremely valued colleague Smt. Sushma Swaraj. She was a seasoned Parliamentarian and widely respected cutting across the party lines. Her demise is a monumental loss for us," he tweeted.
According to sources at All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, the 67-year-old was feeling restless at 9 pm and reached the hospital 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. Later, 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.
( With inputs from ANI )