Sushma Swaraj, former foreign minister and BJP veteran who died on Tuesday (Aug 6) evening, was cremated with state honours on Wednesday (Aug 7) afternoon in the presence of top leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home Minister Amit Shah and BJP patriarch L K Advani among others, Indian media reported.
Sushma’s death due to a cardiac arrest has left political leaders and her legions of admirers in grief.
Modi turned emotional as he paid homage to Sushma, easily one of India’s most-admired political leaders.
Her body was kept at the BJP headquarters for party workers and leaders to pay tributes and then moved to the Lodhi Crematorium where all top leaders paid their respects.
Sushma died at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences where she was taken around 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Political leaders across party lines as well as people on social media expressed shock and grief at her sudden death.
President Ram Nath Kovind visited Sushma’s home in central Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Road to pay his last respects. He interacted with her husband Swaraj Kaushal and other family members.
Sonia Gandhi of Congress was seen hugging Sushma’s daughter Bansuri. Her son Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too visited Sushma’s home.
