New Delhi, August 7: Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was cremated with full state honours at Lodhi Road electric crematorium on Wednesday as VIPs and thousands of commoners bid teary-eyed farewell to the veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. The last rites were performed by her daughter Bansuri Swaraj. Sushma Swaraj suffered a heart attack and died late on Tuesday. The 67-year-old leader breathed her last at All India Institutes of Medical Sciences in Delhi.

Swaraj's mortal remains were brought at her residence where prominent leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former PM Dr Manmohan Singh, BJP chief Amit Shah, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi arrived today to pay their respects to the BJP stalwart. Hundreds of men and women paid their respects to Swaraj as her mortal remains were taken to the Lodhi Road electric crematorium. Sushma Swaraj Tweets 'Hum Hain Na' to Man Stranded in Saudi Arabia, Wins Hearts Again.

Leaders across the political spectrum condoled the death of Swaraj. In a series of tweets, PM Modi lauded Swaraj for her services in helping Indians abroad. "An excellent administrator, Sushma Ji set high standards in every Ministry she handled. She played a key role in bettering India's ties with various nations. As a Minister we also saw her compassionate side, helping fellow Indians who were in distress in any part of the world," PM Modi tweeted. Geeta, Indian Girl Who Returned to India From Pakistan With Sushma Swaraj’s Help, Pays Tribute to the Veteran BJP Leader.

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President Ram Nath Kovind also visited Swaraj's residence to pay his respects. Dr Manmohan Singh said Swaraj was a great parliamentarian and an exceptionally talented Minister. "I was shocked to hear about the sudden demise of Sushma Swaraj. I have fond memories of my association with her when she was Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha," the former Prime Minister said in a statement.

"She was a leader of high esteem who was highly respected by everybody irrespective of party lines. She was a great parliamentarian and exceptionally talented Minister of the Union Government," he said. The Rajya Sabha mourned her demise with Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu calling her an able administrator and a true voice of the people.

The Delhi government declared a two-day state mourning. Swaraj was the first woman chief minister of Delhi. Announcing the same, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: "Sushmaji was former CM of Delhi. Delhi will pay its respects by observing state mourning for two days."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 07, 2019 04:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).