Condolences started pouring in as Indian Air Force on Wednesday took to Twitter to announce the untimely demise of Chief of Defence Staff, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others who died in the fatal chopper crash in Tamil Nadu.
In a tweet, the Indian Air Force confirmed on Wednesday evening that Gen Rawat, who was India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, and his wife Madhulika Rawat were among the 13 persons who died in the fatal chopper crash.
The crash took place in the Nilgiris, at a distance of about 10 km from the helipad where it was to land with CDS Rawat, who was to attend a cadet interaction programme today afternoon at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.
Taking to Twitter, many eminent leaders expressed their heartfelt condolences for the bereaved families of those who lost a loved one in the chopper crash.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first few to share the news on the social media platform. Extending his condolences, the PM pointed out that those who died in the crash had served India with ‘utmost diligence’.
I am deeply anguished by the helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu in which we have lost Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and other personnel of the Armed Forces. They served India with utmost diligence. My thoughts are with the bereaved families.— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 8, 2021
Union home minister Amit Shah called Gen Rawat “one of the bravest soldiers” and said his contributions “cannot be put into words”.
A very sad day for the nation as we have lost our CDS, General Bipin Rawat Ji in a very tragic accident. He was one of the bravest soldiers, who has served the motherland with utmost devotion. His exemplary contributions & commitment cannot be put into words. I am deeply pained.— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 8, 2021
Joining the bandwagon was also Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who termed the death as an irreparable loss for India and President Ramnath Kovind who said that India has perhaps lost its bravest sons today.
Deeply anguished by the sudden demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other Armed Forces personnel in an extremely unfortunate helicopter accident today in Tamil Nadu.His untimely death is an irreparable loss to our Armed Forces and the country.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 8, 2021
I am shocked and anguished over the untimely demise of Gen. Bipin Rawat and his wife, Madhulika ji. The nation has lost one of its bravest sons. His four decades of selfless service to the motherland was marked by exceptional gallantry and heroism. My condolences to his family.— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) December 8, 2021
National President of Bharatiya Janata Party, Jagat Prakash Nadda and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also took this opportunity to express their condolences for the grieving families of the dead.
Deeply pained by the sudden demise of CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife & 11 other Armed Forces personnel in an unfortunate helicopter accident today in Tamil Nadu.Huge loss to the nation.I salute Gen Rawat for his outstanding services. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved families.— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) December 8, 2021
Australia’s High Commissioner to India, Barry O’Farrell also expressed his thoughts over the unfortunate death of CDS in a chopper crash.
Deeply saddened to hear the terrible news of the helicopter accident involving ???????? CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife, staff and Air Force crew.— Barry O’Farrell AO (@AusHCIndia) December 8, 2021
Deeply saddened by the tragic demise of Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff, his wife and 11 Armed Forces personnel in an unfortunate accident at Sulur, Tamil Nadu. I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved family members of the people killed in the accident, said Satoshi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to India.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also takes to Twitter to extend her condolences.
Pained by the untimely demise of CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other Armed Forces personnel in the tragic accident in Coonoor today.The entire nation mourns this irreparable loss. We will always remember the courage and devotion with which he served our nation.
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 8, 2021
General Bipin Rawat was the first sitting Chief of Army Staff to hold the position. The government initially amended Army rules to raise the superannuation age from 62 to 65 years, paving the way for the appointment. The CDS serves as a single point of contact for the government on military matters, with the primary goal of integrating the three services — Army, Navy, and Air Force. Rawat also served as the permanent Chairman of the Chief of Staff Committee (COSC).
The death of Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat and his wife among 13 others onboard a Mi-17 V5 helicopter on Wednesday throws light on the history of Mi-series chopper accidents in India. In the last nine years, seven Russian-made IAF Mi-series helicopters have crashed in India. According to the Ministry of Defence statements analysed by CNN-News18, at least 30 people have died in these crashes since 2012. Here are the Mi-17 IAF helicopter accidents.
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