NEW DELHI: The last rites of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani began with state honours in Rajkot on Monday. Rupani was among those who lost their lives in the fatal Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12.A deeply emotional moment unfolded as Rupani’s wife, Anjali Rupani, bid her final farewell. Surrounded by grieving family members and close friends, she stood by his side as the funeral rituals commenced.Union home minister Amit Shah and Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel laid wreaths and offered their final respects to Rupani. Earlier, CM Patel, accompanied by senior cabinet colleagues, stood in silence at the mortuary block of Ahmedabad civil hospital, where Rupani’s mortal remains were kept for public homage. Health minister Rushikesh Patel and minister of state for home Harsh Sanghavi also paid their tributes.Former deputy CM Nitin Patel was among the first to visit the mortuary, where he met Rupani’s family and extended his condolences.Rupani, 68, who was the chief minister from August 2016 to September 2021, steered Gujarat through a critical post-Covid recovery phase.He was among the 242 passengers and crew members on board the London-bound Air India flight AI-171 that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12.While 241 persons on board the aircraft died, one passenger miraculously survived. Besides, 29 persons are reported to have died in the disaster on the ground, which includes five MBBS students.