The city of Rajkot bid an emotional farewell to former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday, as thousands gathered to pay their final respects to the veteran BJP leader, who was among 270 people killed in last week’s Air India plane crash.
Rupani, 68, died on 12 June when Air India flight AI171, en route from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed minutes after takeoff. The fatal accident claimed 270 lives, including 242 passengers and crew onboard, and 28 people on the ground. One passenger miraculously survived the crash.
A large funeral procession was held in Rajkot, stretching six kilometres from his home to the cremation site. Tearful mourners, many of them women, lined the route, folding their hands and showering flowers as the hearse passed by. His last rites were conducted with full state honours.
The Gujarat government declared a one-day state mourning on Monday in memory of the former chief minister.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J.P. Nadda travelled to Rajkot to attend the funeral. Rupani’s son, Rishabh, was also present during the ceremony.
The remains of Rupani, which were charred beyond recognition, were identified through DNA testing three days after the crash. His body was handed over to his family by the city civil hospital in Ahmedabad and flown to Rajkot for the final rites.
Rupani served as Gujarat’s chief minister from August 2016 until September 2021, when he stepped down months before the 2022 state elections in a party-led strategy to introduce fresh leadership.
Despite his resignation, he remained a key figure in the BJP’s electoral success, contributing to the party’s record victory of 156 out of 182 seats in the Assembly polls.
He was also appointed as the BJP’s in-charge for Punjab and Chandigarh and remained actively involved in national politics.
At the funeral, former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi recalled Rupani’s dedication to public service, stating, “Vijaybhai always believed no task is too big or too small. He approved Surat’s draft development plan for 2030 — a vision that shaped the city’s current growth.”
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