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    Sushma Swaraj: Foreign Minister with a human touch

    Synopsis

    Swaraj passed away in Delhi following a cardiac arrest. She was admitted to AIIMS earlier today.

    Tribute to Sushma Swaraj: India's 'Supermom' and fiery politician who cared for all
    NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader and former foreign minister Sushma Swaraj who passed away on Tuesday took foreign policy beyond mandarins of South Block to touch lives of common Indians in the first Modi government. The BJP veteran (67) passed away following a heart attack on Tuesday night.

    Her last Twitter post was about thanking PM Narendra Modi about the government’s move on Kashmir stating that she was waiting for this day in her lifetime.

    Swaraj, who was for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s most prominent woman face, did not contest the recently held Lok Sabha elections in which the party won a massive majority. Last November, she had announced she would not contest the general elections.

    From being tagged the 'supermom' of India by Washington Post to becoming one of the most-followed politicians on Twitter, the late foreign minister had truly struck a chord with young and old alike with her round-the-clock social media presence, eagerness to help to any Indian in distress worldwide, and ready wit on social media.

    Officials would vouch that Swaraj also handled policy matters of MEA with same finesse and developed strong chemistry with her counterparts from across the world. She was the second woman to hold post of External Affairs after Indira Gandhi.

    On 19 February 2019 Swaraj accepted the prestigious Grand Cross of Order of Civil Merit, which was conferred by the Spanish government in recognition of India's support in evacuating its citizens from Nepal during the earthquake in 2015.

    Sushma Swaraj, former External Affairs Minister, passes away at age 67

    Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj passed away in Delhi following a cardiac arrest. She was admitted to AIIMS earlier today. She was the first woman external affairs minister of India. The 67-year-old leader, who had served her fourth term in Lok Sabha had long been her party’s most prominent woman face. She was the youngest cabinet minister at 25 when she joined the Haryana government in 1977 and the first woman chief minister of Delhi.
    Sushma Swaraj's political journey

    *1977–82 Elected as Member, Haryana Legislative Assembly.

    *1977–79 Cabinet Minister, Labour and Employment, Government of Haryana.

    *1987–90 Elected as Member, Haryana Legislative Assembly.

    *1987–90 Cabinet Minister, Education, Food and Civil Supplies, Government of Haryana.

    *1990–96 Elected to Rajya Sabha (1st term)

    *1996–97 [15 May 1996 – 4 December 1997] Member, Eleventh Lok Sabha (2nd term).

    *1996 [16 May – 1 June] – Union Cabinet Minister, Information and Broadcasting.
    *1998–99 [10 March 1998 – 26 April 1999] Member, Twelfth Lok Sabha (3rd term).

    *1998 [19 March – 12 October] Union Cabinet Minister, Information and Broadcasting and Telecommunications (Additional charge).

    *1998 [13 October – 3 December] Chief Minister of Delhi.

    *1998 [November] – Elected from Hauz Khas Assembly constituency of Delhi Assembly. Resigned from Delhi Assembly and retained Lok Sabha seat.

    *2000–06 Member, Rajya Sabha (4th term).

    *2000–03 [30 September 2000 – 29 January 2003] Minister of Information and Broadcasting.

    *2003–04 [29 January 2003 – 22 May 2004] Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.

    *2006–09 [April 2006 -] Member, Rajya Sabha (5th term).

    *2009–14 [16 May 2009 – 18 May 2014] Member, 15th Lok Sabha (6th term).

    *2009-09 [3 June 2009 – 21 December 2009] Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

    *2009–14 [21 December 2009 – 18 May 2014] Leader of the Opposition and replaced Lal Krishna Advani.

    *2014–present [26 May 2014–] Member, 16th Lok Sabha (7th term)

    *2014–2019 [26 May 2014 – 29 May 2019] Minister of External Affairs in the Union of India.

    BJP stalwart and former foreign minister Sushma Swaraj dies

    Senior BJP leader and former foreign minister Sushma Swaraj who passed away on Tuesday took foreign policy beyond mandarins of South Block to touch lives of common Indians in the first Modi government. The BJP veteran (67) passed away following a heart attack on Tuesday night.



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