By News Karnataka
Copyright newskarnataka
A political storm has erupted in Gujarat after it was revealed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declined to bear the funeral expenses of former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who died in the tragic Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad airport on June 12, 2025.
The funeral, held four days later in Rajkot, cost Rupani’s family ₹25 lakh, leaving them shocked and financially strained. Despite the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, senior BJP leaders, thousands of party workers and citizens, the entire cost was borne by Rupani’s family.
Family burdened with expenses
According to an Indian Express report, the family had no prior knowledge that the bills for flowers, tents, and other arrangements would fall on them. Traders and suppliers began knocking on their doors in July, demanding payment. With no support from the party, the family gradually cleared the dues.
The revelation has sparked outrage among BJP workers and supporters in Rajkot and the larger Saurashtra region. Many see it as insensitivity towards a leader who once held the state’s highest office.
CR Patil dodges questions
The controversy surfaced three months after the funeral, when state BJP president and Union Water Resources Minister CR Patil was asked about the issue during his visit to Rajkot for a public event.
While reporters questioned him on the alleged refusal to cover the expenses, Patil avoided a direct response, saying vaguely:
“This is a Namotsav matter, I will definitely answer later.”
Patil’s silence, observers say, indicates possible discord within the Gujarat BJP unit.
Signs of internal rift
Citing party insiders, the report suggests that the decision not to fund the funeral was influenced by two powerful Saurashtra leaders, pointing to a possible power struggle within the state unit.
While senior leaders attended Rupani’s last rites, the absence of financial support has cast a shadow over the party’s treatment of its former chief minister. On the ground, workers and locals have reportedly expressed discontent and anger over the episode.
The tragic crash
Rupani, along with 269 others, died when Air India’s AI-171 flight crashed into a medical college building seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12. Only one passenger survived. The crash also killed several students of the medical college, making it one of the worst aviation tragedies in India in recent years.
The row has left many questioning the BJP’s internal unity and its treatment of senior leaders’ families. For Rupani’s kin, already grappling with grief, the financial burden added a painful dimension to their loss. The controversy may deepen existing fault lines within the Gujarat BJP ahead of the next electoral cycle.
