Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was cremated with full state honours on Monday as thousands gathered in Rajkot to pay their last respects. Rupani died in the Air India crash in Ahmedabad on June 12. His mortal remains were brought to his residence from the airport in a flower-decked vehicle while people stood in large numbers along the route, chanting slogans and showering flower petals.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Jal Shakti Minister, and Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil were among several senior leaders who paid floral tributes at his residence.
The funeral procession began from Greenland Crossroads on the city’s outskirts and moved towards Rupani’s residence, covering several kilometres. Supporters raised slogans like "Vijaybhai tum amar ho" as the vehicle carrying his body passed through crowded streets before heading to the crematorium.
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Rupani's body, flown to Rajkot from Ahmedabad on a special aircraft, was handed over to his family earlier in the day at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital after DNA tests confirmed his identity. His wife Anjali and other relatives were present at the hospital when the remains were received.
Rupani was one of the 242 passengers and crew members aboard Air India flight AI-171, which crashed shortly after takeoff. Only one person survived, while 29 others died on the ground after the plane hit a medical complex.
A veteran BJP leader, Rupani served as Chief Minister from August 2016 to September 2021. He entered electoral politics in 1987 as a corporator in the Rajkot Municipal Corporation and later became its mayor. He served in the Rajya Sabha from 2006 to 2012 and was appointed BJP in-charge for Punjab after stepping down as Chief Minister in 2021. Rupani was 68.