New Delhi: While the Winter Session of Parliament commenced on Monday (November 18), Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla along with MPs paid tribute to late Union ministers Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, and Ram Jethmalani.

Remembering Swaraj on the first day of the House, the Lok Sabha Speaker said, "Swaraj was an excellent lawmaker. She was a prolific orator and a prominent face of women's representation in Indian politics. As the external affairs minister (EAM) she gave a human face to the ministry. She was a saviour for the Indians stranded abroad. Her demise has resulted in the loss of a humane leader."

Om Birla also spoke about Jaitley and said, "Jaitley was an able administrator. He was a friendly person and had in-depth knowledge of various subjects including law. He worked selflessly for the welfare of the country. With his demise, the country lost an excellent lawmaker. His place cannot be fulfilled."

The Lok Sabha Speaker also remembered eminent lawyer Ram Jethmalani by calling him a "fine orator".

"Jethmalani was a fine orator and had an in-depth knowledge in the field of law," Birla said.

Former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj passed away on August 6 at AIIMS in Delhi after suffering a cardiac arrest. Swaraj was the foreign minister in the first term of the Modi government in 2014. She opted out of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections citing ill health.

Former Union finance minister Jaitley had passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at the age of 66 in New Delhi on August 24 due to prolonged illness.

Jethmalani passed away on September 8 at his residence in the national capital. He was 95.