The daughter of Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj performed her last rites in a departure from tradition as PM Modi and top leaders cutting across party lines bid final goodbye to the veteran leader.
Veteran Indian politician Swaraj died at 67 in New Delhi on Tuesday after suffering cardiac arrest. She was the second woman to hold the office in India's history.
Swaraj served as India`s foreign minister from 2014 to 2019, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first term in office. She was a senior leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"A glorious chapter in Indian politics comes to an end," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.
"India grieves the demise of a remarkable leader who devoted her life to public service and bettering lives of the poor. Sushma Swaraj Ji was one of her kind, who was a source of inspiration for crores of people."
Modi further said: "Sushma Ji was a prolific orator and outstanding parliamentarian. She was admired and revered across party lines.
"She was uncompromising when it came to matters of ideology and interests of the BJP, whose growth she immensely contributed to."
A visibly emotional Modi along with other senior BJP members visited her home to pay their final respects.
Sushma`s body is scheduled to be taken to the party's headquarters in the national capital for the public on Wednesday to do the same, which will be followed by the cremation and a final prayer ceremony.
Tributes for Swaraj have continued to pour in from across the political spectrum.
The former president of the main opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, tweeted: "I'm shocked to hear about the demise of Sushma Swaraj Ji, an extraordinary political leader, a gifted orator & an exceptional Parliamentarian, with friendships across party lines."
Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal state and head of the All India Trinamool Congress, also took to Twitter to share her condolences.
Banerjee tweeted: "Deeply saddened, shocked at the sudden passing away of Sushma Swaraj Ji. I knew her since the 1990s. Even though our ideologies differed, we shared many cordial times in Parliament. An outstanding politician, leader, good human being."
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