New Delhi:
The mortal remains of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who died of a cardiac arrest at the Fortis Escorts Heart Institute in Delhi on Saturday, has been brought back to her Nizamuddin East residence this evening. The body will be kept at the residence for public homage till 11:30 am on Sunday. Post that, it will be taken to the Congress headquarters in Delhi, where party leaders will pay their last respects to the beloved Congress daughter. Her last rites will be performed at 2.30 pm today at Nigam Bodh ghat, the Delhi unit of the Congress said.
The Delhi government has also declared at 2-day state mourning for her death, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told reporters. Earlier in the day, Dikshit was admitted to the hospital in a "critical condition with cardiac arrest" and breathed her last at 3.55 pm in the afternoon, a Fortis Escorts statement said.
READ | Sheila Dikshit dies: A look at the life of Congress warhorse who changed the face of Delhi
"A multi-disciplinary team of doctors, led by Dr Ashok Seth, Chairman, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, carried out the advanced resuscitative measures. Her condition stabilised temporarily. However, she had another cardiac arrest and despite all the resuscitative efforts, passed away at 3:55 pm on July 20, 2019," it read.
Meanwhile, condolences have poured in for the veteran Congress leader from across the country. President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were among those who condoled her death.
An able administrator, Dikshit could get along well with politicians from all parties for which she drew widespread respect. Known as a warm and affable politician, she carried out massive infrastructure development of Delhi during her tenure as the chief minister.
The Congress leader also launched a number of social welfare schemes with involvement of resident welfare associations as part of her participatory model of governance.
