Sushma Swaraj's daughter Bansuri grateful as late ex-EAM is awarded the Padma Vibhushan

As former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday was posthumously honoured with Padma Vibhushan at the Padma Awards ceremony, her daughter and Supreme Court advocate Bansuri Swaraj remembered her late mother and extended her gratitude to President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and people of the nation. The Padma Vibhushan is India's second-highest civilian award. Late Sushma Swaraj's award was received by her daughter. 

Sushma Swaraj passed away on August 6 in the year 2019 due to a cardiac arrest and is survived by her daughter Bansuri and husband Swaraj Kaushal. 

She took to Twitter and said, "My mother was devoted to public service and public welfare throughout her life. Today her excellency was honoured with Padma Vibhushan by President Ram Nath Kovind."

"I am extremely grateful to Hon'ble President ji, respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, respected Amit Shah ji and the people of India," she added. 

Sushma Swaraj's journey

Sushma Swaraj started practice as an advocate in the Supreme Court of India in 1973. She was the youngest cabinet minister in the Haryana government, the first woman chief minister of Delhi and the first woman spokesperson of a national political party in the country. In 1996, Sushma Swaraj served as Information and Broadcasting Minister in the 13-day Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and later in 1998 took charge as the same. She was the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha between 2009 and 2014. The late Foreign Minister was elected seven times as a member of Parliament and three times as a member of the legislative assembly. As External Affairs Minister in the Modi government, she brought a rare empathy and human touch in reaching out to and helping the Indian diaspora in distress through her revolutionary social media outreach.

List of Padma Vibhushan awardees

George Fernandes (Posthumous) for Public Affairs

Arun Jaitley (Posthumous) for Public Affairs

Former Mauritius Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth for Public Affairs

Olympic boxer and Rajya Sabha MP MC Mary Kom for Sports

Hindustani classical singer Chhannulal Mishra for Art 

Sushma Swaraj (Posthumous) for Public Affairs

Former Pejavara Udupi Matha seer Vishvesha Teertha (Posthumous)

Image: Twitter/@BansuriSwaraj