Illustrious BJP leader and former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who brought a rare empathy and a human approach to India's diplomacy, passed away on Tuesday night suffering a massive cardiac arrest. She was 67.
On March 15, 2017, then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attended the Parliament for the first time since she took ill and underwent a kidney transplant at AIIMS. That is when the parliament greeted her after she returned to work after a brief illness. During, during the Lok Sabha session members thumped their benches to welcome her to the House following her absence due to health issues. The BJP leader had gone through a kidney transplant and had returned to the Parliament after almost a six-month break due to illness and recovery. All the members of Parliament irrespective of their parties welcomed Swaraj.
“We welcome Sushmaji. May God bless you with a long life and we pray that you continue to serve the people,” Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said. Congress chief whip Jyotiraditya Scindia rushed towards Sushma Swaraj from the opposition bench to welcome her while Uma Bharti walked up and hugged her. Sushma said I have recovered thanks to your prayers and blessings of my Krishna,” before launching a counter-attack on crimes against Indians in the United States.
In that session, she highlighted the steps taken by the government following three recent incidents of attacks, including suspected hate crimes, rejecting Opposition criticism that it had kept quiet. The Minister said that even when she was convalescing, she had spoken to the family members of the victims and officers of Indian consulate general had reached out to them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is being accused of silence, sought daily updates from her ministry amid his busy election campaign, Swaraj said.
Here’s the video where Parliament greeted Sushma Swaraj in unison upon her return from illness:
