Vijay Rupani's death in Ahmedabad plane crash brings back Indo-Pak war memories when Gujarat lost another CM to the skies

Time of India

12-06-2025

Gujarat
plunged into mourning on Thursday as
former Chief Minister
Vijay Rupani was confirmed dead in the catastrophic crash of
Air India flight AI-171
, rekindling the state's painful memory of losing another sitting Chief Minister,
Balwantrai Mehta
, in an aviation tragedy during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965.
The London-bound
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
had just taken off from Ahmedabad's
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport
when it plummeted into the Meghani Nagar locality, barely five minutes into its ascent. The aircraft, carrying 242 passengers and crew, exploded into a fireball, engulfing homes and sending thick smoke billowing into the city's skyline. Eyewitnesses reported a deafening boom and a wave of panic as emergency crews raced to contain the fire and comb through the wreckage for survivors.
Among the confirmed dead was 68-year-old Vijay Rupani, a senior
BJP
leader who had served as the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2016 to 2021. He was flying Business Class, reportedly listed as passenger number 12 on the manifest. His death stunned political corridors and left the Rajkot West constituency — which he long represented — reeling with grief.
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Undo
A Personal Loss Beyond Politics
Rupani is survived by his wife and two children. His family had already endured deep sorrow years earlier when his youngest son, Pujit, died in an accident. That loss led to the establishment of the Pujit Rupani Memorial Trust, a philanthropic foundation that worked quietly but persistently across Gujarat on charitable initiatives.
His untimely death cuts short the life of a leader remembered for his grounded demeanour, administrative continuity, and efforts to strengthen urban infrastructure during his term as CM. His calm presence in Gujarat's political landscape will be deeply missed.
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Echoes from the Past: The Balwantrai Mehta Tragedy
The devastating loss of
Vijay Rupani
reopens a painful chapter in Gujarat's history — the death of Chief Minister Balwantrai Mehta during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Mehta, often hailed as the 'Architect of Panchayati Raj' for his pioneering work on democratic decentralisation, was a towering figure in post-independence Indian politics. He had been a freedom fighter, imprisoned multiple times during British rule, and later served as a Lok Sabha MP and member of the Congress Working Committee under Jawaharlal Nehru.
On 19 September 1965, while flying from Mithapur to the Kutch border in a civilian Beechcraft aircraft piloted by former Indian Air Force officer Jahangir Engineer, Mehta's plane was mistakenly shot down by the Pakistan Air Force. The Pakistani pilot, Qais Hussain, assumed the aircraft to be on a reconnaissance mission and acted on orders to engage.
The tragic incident claimed the lives of Mehta, his wife, three staff members, a journalist, and two crew members. In a deeply symbolic gesture decades later, Qais Hussain wrote a letter to Engineer's daughter, apologizing for the fatal mistake — an extraordinary footnote in the annals of wartime aviation and diplomacy.
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Investigation Underway
As news of Rupani's death spread, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel and state officials, assuring full central support for the ongoing investigation and rescue operations. Aviation experts suggested that the aircraft's full international fuel load likely intensified the blaze, hampering recovery and identification efforts. A formal probe by the
Directorate General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA) is underway, with technical assistance expected from Boeing engineers.
As the nation grieves, political observers and citizens alike are struck by the symbolism — how the skies, vehicles of progress and connectivity, have twice snatched away Gujarat's leadership.
A Tragic Pattern That Haunts Indian Politics
Rupani's death adds his name to a somber list of Indian
political figures lost to air accidents
. From Madhavrao Scindia and Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to Dorjee Khandu and O.P. Jindal, the recurring theme of political journeys cut short by aviation disasters continues to haunt India's democratic narrative.
For Gujarat, this is not just the death of a former Chief Minister — it is a haunting repetition, a tragic déjà vu, and a reminder of how leadership, even at its highest echelons, remains vulnerable to the cruel whims of fate.
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