The last conversation of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani with his family before boarding the ill-fated Air India Flight AI171, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, involved singing songs. Rupani, who was headed to London to visit his wife, Anjali Rupani, and daughter, had rescheduled his trip from June 5, and was in good spirits before his departure.
According to sources close to the former Chief Minister, Rupani was looking forward to the trip and planned to bring his wife back from London. His personal assistant, Shailesh Mandaliya, who dropped him off at the airport, recalled the moment, "Few minutes after dropping him, we heard the news".
The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI 171, crashed in a residential area near Meghani Nagar minutes after departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 pm on Thursday. Rupani was traveling in Business Class. The aircraft was reportedly carrying 242 people, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. One passenger, who was seated near the emergency exit, survived the crash.
News of Rupani's death brought grief to Rajkot, his hometown. The city observed a half-day shutdown on Saturday to pay tribute to the former Chief Minister. Rupani, a senior BJP leader and native of Rajkot, served as Gujarat's chief minister from 2016 to 2021. Tributes poured in from leaders across party lines, remembering him for his simplicity and kindness. Sanjay Mehta, a neighbor, told TOI, "He was a tall neta, yes. But he lived like one of us. Always kind. Always ready to help. You'd never know he held such a big position. To us, he was Vijaybhai - our neighbor, friend".
Rupani's nephew, Mehul Rupani, told TOI that the family was devastated by the loss. "The family is devastated to know about the sad demise of uncle. Anjali aunty (Rupani's wife) and her daughter are returning from London, as are other relatives from the US. We will follow the processes as advised by govt to take custody of his mortal remains. Family is in shock," he said. Rupani's son, Rushabh, said that this is "a sad time not just for us, but for 270 families too". He further thanked personnel from the Civil Defence and Fire Services, RSS workers, the police and the Aarogya staff for their rescue efforts, calling them "praiseworthy".
The DNA of Vijay Rupani has been matched with remains recovered from the wreckage. Gujarat health minister Rushikesh Patel confirmed the development, saying the authorities were in contact with the Rupani family to facilitate the handover of the mortal remains. "The DNA matching of Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister, is complete. We will coordinate with the family to take the body to Rajkot," he told reporters. The remains were handed over to Rupani's family by the civil hospital authorities in Ahmedabad on Monday. His last rites were conducted at the Ramnathpara crematorium.
The tragic fate of Vijay Rupani, now the second Gujarat Chief Minister to perish in an air disaster after Balwantrai Mehta in 1965, has brought back memories of that earlier sorrowful incident.
