Journalism of Courage
BJP leader and former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj passed away on Tuesday night after suffering a massive cardiac arrest. She was 67. (Express archive photo)
One of the most prolific politicians of India, Swaraj's sudden demise triggered a wave of shock and grief with leaders cutting across political spectrum paying tributes to the astute leader. (Express archive photo)
In a political career spanning over 40 years, Sushma Swaraj had many firsts in her stint with the BJP. She was the youngest Cabinet minister of Haryana at just 25 years of age and also the first woman CM of Delhi besides being the first minister to advocate ‘digital diplomacy’. (Express archive photo)
A former Supreme Court lawyer, Swaraj was born on February 14, 1953, in Ambala Cantt, Haryana. Her father was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) member and thus was brought up in a political atmosphere. (Express archive photo)
She completed her graduation in political science and did LLB course from Panjab University. Her first brush with politics came when she joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in the 1970s. In pic: Sushma Swaraj addressing the gathering while Parkash Singh Badal looks on. (Express archive photo)
Sushma Swaraj married Swaraj Kaushal, a criminal lawyer and a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, in 1975. In pic: Former EAM Sushma Swaraj with her husband Swaraj Koushal at Parliament in New Delhi.(Expess photo: Anil Sharma)
In 1977, Swaraj made her debut in electoral politics as a member of the Janata Party and was elected to the Haryana Assembly. She joined the BJP in 1984 and was appointed secretary of the party. (Express archive photo)
In 1996, during the 13-day government under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sushma Swaraj took a revolutionary step of live telecasting of Lok Sabha debates as the Union Cabinet minister for Information and Broadcasting. (Express archive photo)
She tasted successive Lok Sabha defeats — in 1980, 1984, 1989. In 1990, however, she was elected to the Rajya Sabha. Six years later, Swaraj was again back in the Lok Sabha. (Express archive photo)
She was the minister of Information and Broadcasting (September 2000–January 2003) and both Health and Parliamentary Affairs (January 2003–May 2004). (Express archive photo)
In 2004, with the Congress making a thumping comeback, Swaraj had threatened to shave her head if Sonia Gandhi was appointed the prime minister. However, it was Manmohan Singh who took charge of the top post. (Express archive)
Following BJP’s return in 2014, Swaraj was given the charge of the Foreign Ministry – a role for which she won many plaudits across party lines. In pic: PM Modi and former union minister Sushma Swaraj at ceremonial reception of Myanmar President Htin Kyaw and his wife at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. (Express photo: Anil Sharma)
