Mayawati pays her last respects to Sushma Swaraj

New Delhi: BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday paid her last respects to former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj at latter's residence in Delhi. Swaraj passed away due to a cardiac arrest on Tuesday night.

"Sushma Swaraj ji's demise personally saddens me. She was an able politician, administrator and a good orator. Her personality was very friendly, even with members of the opposition. I pray to nature to give her family the strength to cope with this loss," Mayawati told reporters here.

Earlier, she had tweeted: "The news of the sudden demise of Sushma Swaraj, senior BJP leader and former union minister, is very saddening. She was not only a very skilled politician and administrator but also an affable woman. Deepest condolences to his family."

Swaraj was admitted to All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) following a deterioration in her health.

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.