When she was the external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj had helped a Hindu-Muslim couple in getting their passports renewed after an officer allegedly harassed her
Bengaluru: Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj passed away on Tuesday (August 6) owing to a heart attack. She was 67.
The leader was rushed to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). A team of five doctors were treating her, but unfortunately she breathed her last. The tall leader was always known for her care and concern for the common man.
An incident that comes to mind at this hour of grief is how she went out of her way to help a Hindu-Muslim couple who had issues with their passport.
A passport official Vikas Mishra in Lucknow had questioned Tanvi Seth and her husband Anas Siddiqui. The official had asked her husband, “Change your name, change your religion, do the pheras and then come here for your passport."
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The wife immediately escalated the matter to the then external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj about the harassment her husband had faced. She even said she had been “insulted” and broke down.
Sushma immediately took note of the complaint and transferred the officer.
The couple later held a press conference and thanked the deceased minister for the support they had received. The two were issued newer passports, which the two proudly displayed as a mark of proof for the action taken.
At the time of the incident, she was not in the country. However, she faced a lot of flak for her support for the Hindu-Muslim couple.
Some even questioned her on this part. They questioned as to how the officer could be transferred when she was not in the country.
The minister was very active on Twitter and responded to queries as quickly as possible. In fact, hours before she passed away, she had tweeted her congratulations to the Prime Minister for the abrogation of Articles 35A and 370.
प्रधान मंत्री जी - आपका हार्दिक अभिनन्दन. मैं अपने जीवन में इस दिन को देखने की प्रतीक्षा कर रही थी. ji - Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you very much. I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj)Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.