West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condoles Sushma Swaraj's demise

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her grief and shock over the sudden demise of former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday night. Banerjee described Swaraj as an outstanding politician, a good human being with whom she had shared “many cordial times in the Parliament” though they differed in their ideology.

“Deeply saddened, shocked at the sudden passing away of Sushma Swaraj Ji.I knew her since the 1990s. Even though our ideologies differed, we shared many cordial times in Parliament. An outstanding politician, leader, good human being. Will miss her, Banerjee wrote on her Twitter handle.

Deeply saddened, shocked at the sudden passing away of Sushma Swaraj Ji.I knew her since the 1990s.Even though our ideologies differed, we shared many cordial times in Parliament. An outstanding politician, leader, good human being.Will miss her.Condolences to her family/admirers

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 6, 2019

The Trinamool Congress chief, who is in Chennai for the inauguration of DMK patriarch Karunanidhi’s statue, extended her condolences to Swaraj’s family and admirers.

Former External Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj passed away on Tuesday night, AIIMS sources said. She was 67. The senior BJP leader was brought to AIIMS around 9:30pm and was straight away taken to the emergency ward. AIIMS doctors said she died of a cardiac arrest.

“A glorious chapter in Indian politics comes to an end. India grieves the demise of a remarkable leader who devoted her life to public service and bettering lives of the poor. Sushma Swaraj ji was one of her kind, who was a source of inspiration for crores of people,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a series of tweets.

Several senior ministers, including Harsh Vardhan, Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani Prakash Javadekar, reached AIIMS after she was admitted to the hospital.

Swaraj had put out a tweet in the evening congratulating Prime Modi after the Centre’s move to revoke special status for Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the border state into two Union Territories secured Parliament’s approval.

“Narendra Modi ji - Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you very much. I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime,” she had said.

Prime Minister Modi, in his tweets, hailed Swaraj as a “prolific orator and outstanding parliamentarian” and said 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,” Modi said.

“An excellent administrator, Sushma Ji 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 said.