India lost dedicated leader in Swaraj: Mahajan

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Wednesday remembered late Sushma Swaraj as the MP who with her oratory skills and photographic memory used to make Opposition members nervous in Parliament.

The former external affairs minister passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, after suffering a cardiac arrest on Tuesday night. She was 67.

"When Swaraj, as an MP, used to attack the opposition, it was felt that their leaders have become speechless. Her memory was awesome. I was highly impressed and astonished by the way she would shed light on the incidents with dates and details," recalled Mahajan, who had served as the Speaker of the 16th Lok Sabha during 2014-2019.

Swaraj, who represented Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh in 2009 and 2014, had served as the Leader of Opposition in the 15th Lok Sabha till May 2014 when the BJP won the general elections.

Hailing Swaraj's contribution as external affairs minister, Mahajan said, "Swaraj was India's voice at international platforms, who would aggressively put India's side before the international community".

She termed as a "bolt from the blue" Swaraj's death at a time when the country is "rejoicing" the Modi government's decision to withdraw the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

"In the death of Swaraj, India has lost a dedicated leader. Despite serious illness, she remained active for the country and society," she said referring to Swaraj's kidney transplant in 2016.

Mahajan reminisced that Swaraj was her "good friend" though she was much younger to the former speaker.

"I have learnt many things in politics from Swaraj who was younger to me in age but had a bigger stature in work," she added.