Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has died in the tragic Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad. In the wake of this national tragedy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has cancelled all events scheduled for today, including those marking 11 years of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. The party had planned multiple outreach events to inform the public about key achievements over the last decade, but these have now been suspended out of respect.
A major protest against the alleged insult to Rabindranath Tagore at the Bangladesh High Commission has also been called off. Reports indicate that BJP-ruled states have been directed to cancel similar events in solidarity.
Vijay Rupani, aged 68, was known for his calm temperament and firm administrative leadership. He served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat from August 7, 2016, to September 11, 2021, representing Rajkot West in the state assembly. At the time of his death, he was the BJP in-charge for Punjab.
Rupani began his public life as an activist with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad during his college years. In 1975, he was jailed in Bhavnagar for a year for protesting against the Emergency. His formal political journey began in 1987 when he was elected as a corporator in Rajkot Municipal Corporation, later becoming the city’s mayor. He also served as a Rajya Sabha MP from 2006 to 2012.
During his tenure as Chief Minister, Gujarat launched the Industrial Policy 2020 and initiated various tribal upliftment schemes. He resigned from the CM post in September 2021.
