Sushma Swaraj Passes Away: 'A backroom person who worked really hard in a male-dominated party,' says ANI Editor-in-Chief Smita Prakash

Sushma Swaraj passed away on August 6, after suffering from cardiac arrest and having been taken to AIIMS at quarter to nine in a critical condition on Tuesday evening. Talking to Republic TV, Editor of ANI, Smita Prakash expressed her condolences to the BJP's stalwart leader. 

Smita Prakash said that her death came in as a shock, even though reports of Swaraj being unwell had surfaced. Prakash also mentioned former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit who passed away on July 20. She said that the presence of both these leaders had a great influence.

"Last night came as a complete shock. Everyone knew she was unwell, but she going away so soon is shocking. Especially 15 days after her good friend Sheila Dikshit passed away. Though not exactly in the best of health, they were there in the Delhi politics or the national political scenario."

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Highlighting Sushma Swaraj's remarkable speeches in the Parliament, Smita Prakash said that:

"When one thinks about Sushma Swaraj, they think about her fiery speeches, her fantastic ability to grasp the nuances of language."

Prakash further said that her leadership is irreplaceable for decades. She said that even though she was not present in the Parliament after BJP won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, her loss was truly felt. 

"When she used to get up to address in the parliament, there used to be pin-drop silence as both sides of the aisle wanted to hear her speeches. She had a mastery of the language and she was a self-made women."

Talking about how Swaraj was the hardest worker in the room, Prakash said:

"She was a backroom person who worked really hard in a party which was otherwise male-dominated. She managed to carve her niche out of it and made sure that she got her due out of it."

"Whatever work she undertook was completely with dignity." Prakash concluded.

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The Former External Affairs Minister was 67 when she breathed her last. The former EAM in her last words on the micro-blogging platform had thanked PM Modi for scrapping Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. She said that she had been "waiting to see this day in her lifetime".