Delhi BJP pays tribute to Sushma Swaraj on death anniversary

BJP leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and State president Harsh Malhotra, paid tributes to former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on her death anniversary on Thursday, recalling her contributions to the city and the country.

The party leaders also planted saplings at the Delhi BJP office and Vasant Udyan in the memory of Sushma Swaraj, who was also the first woman chief minister of Delhi.

“Whatever I can do today for society and Delhi is the result of the inspiration and guidance I received from respected Sushma Swaraj,” Chief Minister Gupta said, recalling her association with the former Union minister.

Sushma Swaraj’s daughter and New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj said, “My mother was not just my mother; she was like a mother or elder sister to lakhs of BJP workers. Seeing so many people come in heavy rain today to pay their respects inspires me to continue serving the people with even greater dedication.”

Swaraj passed away after a cardiac arrest on August 7, 2019, at the age of 67 years. 

Delhi BJP president and Union minister Malhotra said Sushma Swaraj was not just a leader; she was the embodiment of an ideal in Indian politics, where compassion was combined with firmness, and authority with public service.

As the external affairs minister, she gave a new meaning to ‘people-centric diplomacy’, he said. Indians stranded anywhere in the world felt that someone in Delhi truly cared for them, and that person was Sushma Swaraj, said Malhotra.

She gave the Capital a new direction of development and discipline while serving as chief minister, and her simple lifestyle, clarity of thought, and inspiring speeches in Parliament continue to motivate every BJP worker, he said.

Several senior leaders attended the memorial programme, including MPs Manoj Tiwari, Yogendra Chandolia, Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Swati Maliwal and Praveen Khandelwal, Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta, Delhi Government ministers Ashish Sood and Manjinder Singh Sirsa; and Delhi Jal Board vice chairman Satish Upadhyay, among others.

Leaders also recalled their association with Swaraj and her contribution to their personal growth. Tiwari said Sushma Swaraj held a special place in his life, who informed him about his first electoral contest on the BJP ticket.

Tiwari said it is not easy to create a leader like Sushma Swaraj. He said she held a special place in his life because she informed him he would contest his first election and guided him for it.

Chandolia said Sushma Swaraj allowed him to contest his first Assembly election from Karol Bagh.