Former external affairs minister and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj will be cremated at Lodhi Road crematorium in New Delhi with full state honours today (Wednesday, Aug 7).
Swaraj was feeling fine till afternoon but around 9.30pm, she suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. She was rushed to AIIMS at 9.45pm. However, Swaraj couldn’t be revived.
Swaraj had health complications arising from diabetes, but was not suffering from any immediate health emergency. She underwent a kidney transplant in 2016 and despite a few spells of hospitalisation, was understood to be getting better.
Sources at AIIMS told ANI that the 67-year-old leader was feeling restless at 9 pm and she was taken to 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. At 10:50 pm, Sushma Swaraj was declared dead.
Just a couple of hours before the fatal heart attack, Swaraj had expressed her happiness at the removal of special status for Jammu and Kashmir thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making it possible “in her lifetime” to see the event.
प्रधान मंत्री जी – आपका हार्दिक अभिनन्दन. मैं अपने जीवन में इस दिन को देखने की प्रतीक्षा कर रही थी. @narendramodi ji – Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you very much. I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime.
Modi paid rich tributes to Swaraj, saying: “A glorious chapter in Indian politics comes to an end. 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.”
BJP working president JP Nadda termed Swaraj’s demise as a sad incident for the whole country. “Sushma Ji is no more with us, it is a sad incident for not only BJP but the whole country. She inspired us, her last tweet tells us how she was involved in serving the nation in an emotional way,” he said in a statement to ANI.
He added, “Her mortal remains will be kept at her residence for people to pay last respects. Around 12 pm tomorrow, her mortal remains will be brought to BJP headquarters. At 3 pm, she will be taken to Lodhi road crematorium, where her last rites will be performed with full state honours.”
BJP president Amit Shah condoled her death and called it an “irreparable” loss. He recalled her role as leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, saying she was a “forceful voice of BJP” in the House. “A powerful orator, she left an indelible mark as a popular leader,” he added.
Swaraj’s long-term colleague and former finance minister Arun Jaitley said he was “saddened, pained and broken on demise of Sushmaji”. “She was one of the most outstanding politicians in the present era. She distinguished in all positions. She leaves behind a void which is difficult to fill,” he added.
Other BJP leaders and those from the opposition expressed shock and grief. President Ram Nath Kovind also offered his condolences.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that there will be two days of state mourning, in a tweet. There will be no cultural events during this period in the state. All other govt business and programmes, including the Anganwadi programme at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, will continue as scheduled, according to news agency ANI.
Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal condoled her death, saying the country has lost a great leader.
“India has lost a great leader. Sushma ji was a very warm and remarkable person. May her soul rest in peace,” Kejriwal tweeted.
Swaraj who had earned a formidable reputation in helping overseas Indians in distress came across as someone who was the “People’s Foreign Minister”.
Known for her oratorical skills, Swaraj had started her career in politics with Janta Party. Swaraj was elected to the Haryana assembly in 1977 and, at 25 years, became the youngest-ever Cabinet Minister in the Haryana government led by the late Devi Lal.
With a socialist background and initially seen as “a late-comer” to BJP, her rise within the party, considered a party of conservatives, was a testimony to her political acumen, courage and mass appeal.
Swaraj was part of the legal team put together by the Opposition when socialist leader George Fernandes was arrested around the Emergency. Since she and Swaraj Kaushal, who was also involved with the Socialists, were part of the legal team and had to travel to Mumbai together, their law professor and later Chief Justice of India AS Anand suggested that they get married, a story later recounted by her with much relish.
She was seen as a key member of BJP’s Gennext after AB Vajpayee and LK Advani along with leaders like Pramod Mahajan, Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar, Venkaiah Naidu and Narendra Modi in the 1990s.
She served in the government variously as minister for Information and Broadcasting, Parliamentary Affairs and Health Minister in the Vajpayee government and also served as Delhi Chief Minister in 1998, a position she lost to Sheila Dikshit who also passed away recently.
In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, Sushma Swaraj jumped into the electoral fray against Congress president Sonia Gandhi, heading to Bellary in Karnataka. Though she was pitchforked by the BJP at the very last moment to contest against the Congress president, she learnt a smattering of Kannada to connect with the electorate in Bellary, forcing a keen contest.
When the BJP-led NDA lost the 2004 elections — it was the start of the BJP’s decade-long political wilderness — and Congress-led UPA staked claim to form government, Swaraj had raised the political stakes by declaring she would shave her head if “Italy-born” Sonia Gandhi was elected as Prime Minister. It defined her political contest with the Congress leadership.
Swaraj was a very effective orator and she delivered for BJP as leader of opposition in Lok Sabha during UPA-2. She raised the scams that hit the Manmohan Singh government — from Commonwealth Games to coal and 2G — with verve and passion, leading protests that led to the government finally conceding a parliamentary committee on the telecom scam.
Sushma Swaraj became the external affairs minister in 2014 when Narendra Modi’s first cabinet was sworn-in on May 26. Swaraj was the second woman to take charge of the foreign ministry after Indira Gandhi. Her stint as foreign minister saw her bring a popular touch to her assignment in the first Modi government, coming to aid of Indian citizens facing problems abroad. She was known for her prompt response on Twitter to address grievances of overseas Indians.
Swaraj did not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls having ruled herself out of electoral politics. Her health and the decision to bid goodbye to the electoral arena were seen to be reasons for her exclusion from the new Modi cabinet that took oath after the BJP repeated its feat of scoring a majority.
Chaos mars Lionel Messi’s Kolkata GOAT Tour event as fans protest poor arrangements
Lionel Messi’s brief appearance in Kolkata was overshadowed by chaos as fans alleged mismanagement, prompting an apology and an official enquiry by the state government.
Lionel Messi’s much-anticipated appearance in Kolkata turned chaotic on Saturday after thousands of fans alleged mismanagement at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan, leaving many unable to even see the Argentine football icon despite holding high-priced tickets
Fans express anger over limited access
The Kolkata leg of the G.O.A.T. Tour was billed as a special moment for Indian football fans, with ticket prices ranging between Rs 5,000 and Rs 25,000. However, discontent grew rapidly inside the stadium as several attendees claimed their view of Messi was obstructed by security personnel and invited guests positioned close to him.
As frustration mounted, some fans resorted to throwing chairs and bottles from the stands, forcing organisers to intervene and cut the programme short.
Event cut short amid disorder
Messi reached the venue around 11:15 am and remained there for roughly 20 minutes. He was expected to take a full lap of the stadium, but that plan was abandoned as the situation deteriorated soon after he emerged from the tunnel.
The disorder also meant that prominent personalities, including actor Shah Rukh Khan, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, could not participate in the programme as scheduled.
Organisers whisk Messi away
With fans breaching security and some vandalising canopies set up at the Salt Lake Stadium, the organisers, along with security personnel, escorted Messi out of the venue to prevent further escalation.
Several attendees described the event as poorly organised, with some fans calling it an “absolute disgrace” and blaming mismanagement for spoiling what was meant to be a celebratory occasion.
Mamata Banerjee apologises, orders enquiry
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee later issued a public apology to Messi and the fans, expressing shock over the mismanagement. She announced the formation of an enquiry committee headed by retired Justice Ashim Kumar Ray, with senior state officials as members.
The committee has been tasked with conducting a detailed probe, fixing responsibility and suggesting steps to ensure such incidents are not repeated in the future.
Delhi enforces new law to regulate fees in private schools
Delhi has notified a new law to regulate private school fees, capping charges, banning capitation fees and mandating transparent, committee-approved fee structures.
The Delhi government has officially brought into force a new law aimed at regulating fees in private schools, notifying the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fee) Act, 2025. The notification was issued on Wednesday, nearly four months after the Bill was cleared by the Delhi Assembly and received approval from Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena.
The Act establishes a comprehensive framework to govern how private unaided schools fix and collect fees, with a clear emphasis on transparency, accountability and relief for parents facing repeated fee hikes.
What the new Act provides for
Under the legislation, private unaided recognised schools can charge fees only under clearly defined heads such as registration, admission, tuition, annual charges and development fees. The law caps registration fees at Rs 25, admission charges at Rs 200 and caution money at Rs 500, which must be refunded with interest. Development fees have been restricted to a maximum of 10 per cent of the annual tuition fee.
Schools have also been directed to disclose all fee components in detail and maintain separate accounts for each category. Any fee not specifically permitted under the Act will be treated as an unjustified demand.
The law strictly prohibits the collection of capitation fees, whether direct or indirect. It further mandates that user-based service charges must be collected strictly on a no-profit, no-loss basis and only from students who actually use the service.
Accounting norms and restrictions on surplus funds
To ensure financial transparency, schools are required to follow prescribed accounting standards, maintain fixed asset registers and make proper provisions for employee benefits. The transfer of funds collected from students to any other legal entity, including a school’s managing society or trust, has been barred.
Any surplus generated must either be refunded to parents or adjusted against future fees, according to the notification.
Protection for students and parents
The Act also places restrictions on punitive action by schools in fee-related matters. Schools are prohibited from withholding results, striking off names or denying entry to classrooms due to unpaid or delayed fees.
The law applies uniformly to all private unaided schools in Delhi, including minority institutions and schools not built on government-allotted land.
School-level committees to approve fees
A key feature of the legislation is the mandatory formation of a School-Level Fee Regulation Committee by July 15 each year. The committee will include five parents selected through a draw of lots from the parent-teacher association, with compulsory representation of women and members from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and socially and educationally backward classes.
A representative from the Directorate of Education will also be part of the panel, while the chairperson will be from the school management.
Schools must submit their proposed fee structure to the committee by July 31. The committee can approve or reduce the proposed fees but cannot increase them. Once finalised, the fee structure will remain fixed for three academic years.
The approved fees must be displayed prominently on the school notice board in Hindi, English and the medium of instruction, and uploaded on the school website wherever applicable.
The Delhi government had earlier described the legislation as a significant step towards curbing arbitrary fee hikes after widespread complaints from parents at the start of the academic session.
Residents across Delhi and adjoining areas woke up to dense smog on Saturday morning, with air quality levels edging close to the ‘severe’ category in several locations
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 390 at 8 am, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category. However, multiple monitoring stations in the national capital recorded AQI readings in the ‘severe’ range.
Areas reporting severe air quality included Anand Vihar (435), Ghazipur (435), Jahangirpuri (442), Rohini (436), Chandni Chowk (419), Burari Crossing (415), and RK Puram (404). The high pollution levels were accompanied by a mix of smog and shallow fog, which reduced visibility in several parts of the city during the early hours.
Smog reduces visibility, health risks rise
As per AQI classification, readings between 401 and 500 fall under the ‘severe’ category, indicating serious health risks. Officials note that prolonged exposure at such levels can trigger respiratory problems even among healthy individuals, while those with existing conditions face higher risks.
Dangerous pollution levels have become a recurring concern in Delhi during the winter months. On Friday as well, a thick haze covered the city, with the overall AQI recorded at 386 and visibility remaining poor in several localities.
Delhi airport activates low visibility procedures
Amid the deteriorating air quality, Delhi airport issued an advisory stating that low visibility procedures were in place. In a post on X, the airport confirmed that flight operations were normal at present but advised passengers to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest updates.
Despite some marginal improvement over recent weeks, large parts of the capital continue to remain under a blanket of toxic smog. The worsening situation has also intensified political sparring over pollution control measures in the city.
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