India has witnessed several tragic air accidents that claimed the lives of key political leaders, including Ajit Pawar. These incidents highlight the risks of VVIP travel and the lasting impact on politics and governance.
Tragic Air Accidents in India
Baramati: On Wednesday, a devastating plane crash in Baramati, Maharashtra, claimed the life of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. He was traveling to address multiple meetings for district council and Panchayat elections. The aircraft carried a total of five people, all of whom died. This tragic incident has sent shockwaves across India.
On December 8, 2021, India mourned the death of its first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, who perished in an MI-17 V5 helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu. His wife, 12 military officers, and others also died. This incident marked one of the saddest days in Indian military history.
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During the India-Pakistan war in 1965, Gujarat’s Chief Minister Balwantray Mehta’s plane was shot down by the Pakistani Air Force over Kutch. Mehta, his wife, government officials, a journalist, and crew members were killed, marking India’s first high-profile political air disaster.
Congress leader Sanjay Gandhi died on June 23, 1980, while piloting a small aircraft. Performing stunts, the plane crashed, killing him and his co-passenger, Subhash Saxena, leaving Indian politics in shock.
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Senior Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia perished in a small aircraft crash near Kanpur on September 30, 2001. He was traveling for an election rally, and his death at age 56 was considered an irreplaceable loss for Indian politics.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi died in a helicopter crash in Andhra Pradesh in 2002 while attending a program. His pilot and security personnel also perished, showing the dangers associated with official VVIP travel.
In September 2009, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy died in a helicopter crash in the Nallamala forests. Though some speculated a Maoist attack, official reports confirmed technical and weather-related causes.
Arunachal Pradesh CM Dorjee Khandu went missing in 2011 while traveling from Tawang to Itanagar in bad weather. The crash claimed his life at age 56, creating deep grief in northeastern India.
On June 12, 2025, former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani died in an Air India flight crash en route from Ahmedabad to London. This accident again raised concerns over VVIP air travel safety.
