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.
Rabri Devi removes new security detail after Z-plus cover withdrawal, Tejashwi Yadav follows suit
Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav reportedly removed newly assigned security personnel after the state government revised security cover for several political leaders, including Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi has reportedly removed a newly deployed security team from her residence after the Bihar government revised the security cover provided to several political leaders in the state.
The move came days after a security review resulted in changes to the protection arrangements of several politicians, including RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav. According to reports, Rabri Devi expressed displeasure over the withdrawal of the Z-plus security cover that had previously been provided to her and her husband.
Security cover revised after government review
The Bihar government recently conducted a review of security arrangements for a number of political leaders. Following the assessment, the security category of some leaders was altered based on the recommendations of security agencies.
As part of the exercise, the Z-plus cover earlier available to Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi was reportedly withdrawn. Revised security arrangements were subsequently put in place by the administration.
However, reports suggest that Rabri Devi was unhappy with the changes and directed the newly assigned personnel to leave her residence.
Tejashwi Yadav also takes similar step
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is also reported to have objected to the revised security deployment. According to sources, he too asked the newly assigned security personnel to leave.
The development has triggered political discussion in Bihar, with the RJD questioning the rationale behind the changes in security arrangements for members of the Yadav family.
Political reactions expected
The security review comes at a time when Bihar’s political environment remains active ahead of upcoming electoral battles. While the state government has maintained that security decisions are based on assessments by agencies and established protocols, opposition leaders are expected to raise questions over the timing and nature of the changes.
No official indication has emerged suggesting a reversal of the revised security arrangements so far.
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke joins protest, 6 detained during demonstration
Abhijeet Dipke joined supporters at Jantar Mantar as the Cockroach Janta Party staged a protest in Delhi, during which six individuals were detained by police.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke joined supporters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Saturday as the organisation held a demonstration over examination and recruitment-related concerns. The protest took place under heightened security arrangements, with police detaining six individuals during the course of the gathering.
Supporters assembled at the designated protest venue to raise concerns over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment processes. The demonstration marked a significant public mobilisation by the organisation, which has gained attention in recent months through campaigns focused on issues affecting students and job aspirants.
Six detained amid tight security arrangements
Police maintained a strong presence around Jantar Mantar and surrounding areas ahead of the protest. Security personnel were deployed to monitor the gathering and ensure law and order during the demonstration.
According to reports, six protesters were detained during the event. Authorities closely monitored the situation as participants continued to gather at the venue. Despite the detentions, the protest remained largely peaceful.
Dipke joined supporters at the site and reiterated the group’s demand for greater transparency and accountability in examination and recruitment systems. Protesters also voiced concerns over issues related to educational governance and opportunities for young job seekers.
Protest highlights concerns of students and job aspirants
The demonstration drew participants from different regions who gathered to express concerns over examination-related controversies and recruitment processes. Organisers maintained that the protest was intended to be a peaceful and democratic expression of public grievances.
Addressing supporters, Dipke stressed the importance of continuing the movement through constitutional means and public engagement. Protesters carried banners and raised slogans highlighting their demands for reforms and greater accountability.
The event was held after authorities granted permission for the demonstration at Jantar Mantar, one of the capital’s designated venues for public protests. Security remained in place throughout the programme as officials monitored developments.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s India call-up hailed as a game changer by BCCI
BCCI has hailed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s selection in the Indian team as a significant moment for Indian cricket, rewarding the teenager’s outstanding performances in IPL 2026.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has welcomed the selection of teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the Indian team, describing his rapid rise as a major positive development for the future of Indian cricket.
The 15-year-old earned his maiden senior national team call-up after a stunning IPL 2026 campaign that established him as one of the country’s most exciting young talents. His fearless batting and consistent performances throughout the tournament caught the attention of selectors and cricket experts alike.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia praised the youngster’s achievements, noting that exceptional performances are always rewarded. He highlighted that Sooryavanshi’s progress reflects the strength of India’s cricket development system and the opportunities available to emerging players.
Sooryavanshi’s selection comes after a season in which he produced remarkable numbers with the bat and played a crucial role for his franchise. His ability to handle pressure situations and score at a brisk pace made him one of the standout performers of the tournament.
The teenager’s inclusion in the national squad is being viewed as an important step in India’s efforts to build a strong pool of young talent for the future. Cricket observers believe the experience of being part of the senior setup will aid his development and help him adapt to the demands of international cricket.
His rise has generated significant excitement among fans, many of whom have followed his journey from age-group cricket to the IPL and now to the national team. The selection also underlines the growing trend of young players making a rapid transition to the highest level based on outstanding performances in domestic and franchise cricket.
With expectations high, Sooryavanshi will now look to make the most of the opportunity and continue the form that earned him recognition at the national level.
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