External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar lauded his predecessor late Sushma Swaraj for being at the forefront in bolstering relations with the Indian diaspora. He made these comments late Sunday while addressing members of the Indian diaspora in the Austrian capital.
Asked what foreign policies have changed since Swaraj took over as India's External Affairs Minister, Jaishankar said: "I'm very glad that you mentioned my predecessor the late Sushma Swaraj ji. The fact that our relationship with the Indian communities abroad are strong and will remain stronger, she led from the front. "I would say in those five years when she was the minister she was the face and the voice of that message," Jaishankar said. "And of course we created a system for that to happen but I still feel that she was so symbolic of that change that I'm personally very grateful that you have recalled her at a time like this," he added.
Swaraj passed away on August 6, 2019 at age of 67, following a cardiac arrest. An accomplished lawyer, politician and diplomat, Swaraj served as External Affairs Minister in first Narendra Modi government from 2014 to 2019.