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.
India has responded to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks at the United Nations, delivering a strong message on terrorism and warning that such actions will have consequences.
The response came after Mr Sharif addressed the UN and raised issues concerning India and Pakistan. New Delhi rejected the narrative presented by the Pakistani prime minister and highlighted the issue of terrorism.
India’s message was delivered by Petal Gehlot, who represented New Delhi in the response to Pakistan.
India warns Pakistan over terrorism
India’s response focused on Pakistan’s record and its approach towards terrorism. New Delhi made clear that terrorism cannot be separated from its consequences and that those responsible cannot expect such actions to go unanswered.
The Indian side also pushed back against the claims and allegations made by Mr Sharif during his UN speech.
The exchange comes amid continuing tensions between India and Pakistan, with terrorism remaining a major point of disagreement between the two countries.
Shehbaz Sharif’s UN remarks
In his address, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke about India-Pakistan relations and raised several issues concerning New Delhi.
India subsequently exercised its right of reply to respond to Pakistan’s statements at the United Nations.
New Delhi’s response underlined its position that terrorism remains a serious issue in the relationship and that there would be consequences for terrorist actions.
The latest exchange at the UN adds to the continuing diplomatic confrontation between the two neighbouring countries.
Veeramani POCSO case: Vijay questions Stalin over earlier probe
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has questioned MK Stalin over the handling of the Veeramani POCSO case, while Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected anyone.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay has questioned DMK president MK Stalin over the handling of the POCSO case involving Gem Granites founder R Veeramani. The political exchange follows renewed investigation into allegations involving minor girls.
Vijay’s remarks came as the ruling TVK stepped up its questions about how the case was handled during the previous DMK government. The party’s IT wing has alleged that the earlier investigation was weakened and questioned why a final report was filed.
The allegations have been rejected by the DMK. Stalin has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to protect anyone in the case and has called the allegations false and defamatory.
What did Vijay say about the Veeramani case?
Vijay questioned Stalin over the handling of the case and demanded an explanation from the former chief minister.
The TVK has specifically questioned why action was not taken against Veeramani during the previous administration and why the earlier investigation resulted in a closure report.
The party has also raised questions about the role of officials involved in the earlier investigation. These are political allegations made by the TVK and have not been established as facts.
What is the Veeramani POCSO case?
The case concerns allegations of sexual abuse of minors involving R Veeramani, the founder of Gem Granites.
The case came under renewed scrutiny after a special POCSO court rejected an earlier closure report and ordered further investigation. The expanded probe has subsequently identified additional alleged survivors who were minors at the time of the alleged offences, according to current reporting.
The investigation is also examining the circumstances surrounding the earlier probe and whether there were any lapses in how the case was handled.
What has MK Stalin said?
Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected Veeramani.
He has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to shield anyone in the case. Stalin has also said that everyone responsible for the alleged offences, including anyone who aided or attempted to protect the accused, should face the law.
The DMK president has further said that the focus should remain on securing justice for the affected girls rather than making political allegations.
Why has the case become a political issue?
The Veeramani case has become the subject of a political dispute between the ruling TVK and the DMK over the handling of the earlier investigation.
The TVK is questioning the previous government’s handling of the case, while the DMK has denied that it intervened to protect the accused.
At this stage, claims about political interference or deliberate weakening of the earlier investigation should be treated as allegations unless established by the ongoing investigation or judicial proceedings.
Women wrestlers challenge Brij Bhushan’s acquittal in sexual harassment case
Four women wrestlers have challenged the acquittal of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar in a sexual harassment case.
Four women wrestlers have approached a Delhi court challenging the acquittal of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case.
The wrestlers have also challenged the acquittal of co-accused Vinod Tomar. The matter is scheduled to be heard by a Special Judge at the Rouse Avenue Courts.
The appeal challenges the order passed by an Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate on August 3, 2026, when Brij Bhushan and Tomar were acquitted in the case.
Wrestlers challenge court’s reasoning
In their appeal, the wrestlers have argued that the acquittal order is legally unsustainable and that the evidence was not assessed appropriately.
They have also alleged that the order relied on assumptions about how victims of sexual assault and harassment were expected to behave instead of assessing the evidence and circumstances of the complainants.
The challenge seeks judicial scrutiny of the findings that resulted in the acquittal of Brij Bhushan and Tomar.
Brij Bhushan was acquitted in August
The Rouse Avenue court acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on August 3 in the sexual harassment case involving women wrestlers. The court’s decision followed consideration of the evidence and statements presented during the proceedings.
The case had emerged after several women wrestlers accused the former WFI chief of sexual harassment. The allegations had led to a major protest by wrestlers in 2023.
The latest appeal means the acquittal is now being challenged before a higher court.
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