Lost an extraordinary parliamentarian, gifted orator: Rahul writes to Sushma Swaraj's husband

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday wrote a letter to Swaraj Kaushal, husband of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, condoling the demise of the BJP stalwart.

Gandhi opined that with Swaraj's demise, the nation has lost an extraordinary Parliamentarian and a gifted orator.

"I am deeply saddened by the untimely demise of your wife Sushma Swarajji. We have lost an extraordinary Parliamentarian and a gifted orator," Gandhi said.

"In her stint as the External Affairs Minister, her responsiveness and compassion for people in need, won her the respect of people around the world. Even her personal ailments did not diminish her public-spiritedness," read the letter.

"You and your daughter Bansuri are in my thoughts and prayers in this difficult time. Sushmaji's legacy will live on and continue to touch the lives of millions of Indians. I wish you peace and courage in this hour of grief," he added.

Swaraj breathed her last on Tuesday night at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after suffering a cardiac arrest.

According to sources at AIIMS, the 67-year-old was feeling restless at 9 pm and she was brought to the hospital at around 9:30 pm in an ambulance. She was declared dead at 10:50 pm.

Swaraj was the foreign minister in the first term of the Modi government in 2014. She opted out of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections citing ill health.

( With inputs from ANI )