President Ram Nath Kovind, VP Naidu, LS speaker Om Birla pay tributes to Sushma Swaraj

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla paid tributes to former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj at her residence in Delhi.

Swaraj breathed her last after a cardiac arrest on Tuesday night.

"Extremely shocked to hear of the passing of Smt Sushma Swaraj. The country has lost a much-loved leader who epitomized dignity, courage & integrity in public life. Ever willing to help others, she will always be remembered for her service to the people of India," Kovind said in a tweet on Wednesday.

Calling Swaraj the "shining sun" of the Indian politics, in a series of tweets, Birla condoled demise of the late minister.

"The shining sun of the Indian political horizon has set as Srimati Sushma Swaraj ji passes away. She was a skilled administrator and a sensitive politician.

She was an energetic speaker as well as a gentle and alert personality. Today the country has lost a valuable politician," Birla tweeted.

"I am deeply saddened by the sudden demise of former External Affairs Minister and senior politician Shrimati Sushma Swaraj ji. he, despite being a politician, kept human sensibilities paramount. I offer my condolences to the bereaved family and pray to God for the peace of the departed soul," he said in another tweet.

Member of Parliament Hema Malini expressed grief in a tweet and posted a picture of herself with Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday.

"Sushma Swaraj ji is no more. A big loss to our nation. Personally, she was always a good friend, philosopher and guide throughout my years in Parliament. Soft-spoken yet firm, always empathetic to people's problems, she was unique in many ways and endeared herself to the public always," Hema Malini said in a tweet.

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Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev also paid their respects to Sushma Swaraj at her residence on Wednesday.

"Sushma Swaraj was a modern public servant. She was very concerned about the problems connecting with common people. She did everything to save the Malyali nexus. We will never forget her," Chandy told reporters here.

Baba Ramdev while speaking to said: "I had really good relations with Sushma Swaraj ji for two decades. She was a follower of Swadeshi, Indian culture and Sanskrit language. I offer my deep condolence from entire Patanjali Yogpeeth family. I am very sad and pray to God to give her nirvana."

According to sources at AIIMS, the 67-year-old was feeling restless at 9 pm and reached the hospital at 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. 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 )