MA Yusuff Ali, Chairman of Lulu Group, has paid tribute to Indian leader Sushma Swaraj, who passed away on Tuesday night.

In a statement issued by the tycoon, he offered his condolences on the death of the former Foreign Minister of India:

'I am deeply saddened to hear the demise of Shrimati Sushma Swaraj, former Minister of External Affairs, whom I call Sushmaji. She used to call me Yusuff bhai and was always treating me like a younger brother. I have served in the Board of Trustees of India Development Foundation along with her when she was the Chairperson. I used to meet and attend her community functions and some official meetings whenever she came to the Gulf. She was taking great interest in the welfare of Non-Resident Indians and especially the Gulf NRIs. This is a huge loss to our country and I sincerely pray (to the) Almighty (to) grant peace to the noble departed soul.'

The BJP stalwart passed away on Tuesday after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Swaraj was admitted to All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) following a deterioration in her health. According to sources at AIIMS, the 67-year-old was feeling restless at 9 pm and reached the hospital at around 9:30 pm in an ambulance. A team of doctors tried to revive her for 70 to 80 minutes but failed in their attempt. Swaraj was declared dead at 10:50pm.