Rajesh Pilot’s 25th death anniversary: How an accident cut short Congress leader’s career

Rajesh Pilot’s 25th death anniversary: Read more to know about how a tragic accident cut short Congress leader’s political career

Former Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader Rajesh Pilot, father to Sachin Pilot, lost his life in a road accident on June 11, 2000. As per reports, Mr. Pilot’s jeep collided with a bus in his Lok Sabha constituency Dausa, about 50 km from Jaipur, Rajasthan. He was rushed to Sawai Man Singh hospital in Jaipur for treatment but succumbed to his injury.

Former Indian Air Force pilot-turned-politician Rajesh Pilot had sustained multiple injuries on his head, chest, and face following the tragic crash around 4:45 pm in 2000 and as per reports, he was all set to travel to Delhi, however, his jeep collided head-on with a Rajasthan Road Transport bus.

A former minister for internal security, Rajesh Pilot was earlier given Z+ security. Although there was no foul play involved in the incident, President of Pheruman Akali Dal, Mahant Sewa Dass Singh, demanded a probe into events leading to the accident. He was known for his outspokenness and candid views.

Rajesh Pilot, a seasoned and principled Congress leader, had openly opposed former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and ex-party president Sitaram Kesri. Known for his commitment to ethics and integrity in public life, Pilot was preparing to challenge Sonia Gandhi in the upcoming organisational elections. His untimely death has left a significant void in the Congress Party, which continues to grapple with a shortage of strong leaders beyond the Nehru-Gandhi family. A respected parliamentarian, Pilot was also a vocal critic of the party’s alliances with leaders like Jayalalithaa and Rabri Devi, reflecting his unwavering stance on political probity.

Mahendra Meena, then MLA of Sikrai, was also present at the time of the accident and stated that Rajesh Pilot was touring the Dausa Lok Sabha constituency, attending several events before he was scheduled to travel to Jaipur and then onward to Delhi. Running slightly behind schedule and in a hurry to reach Jaipur, he remained committed to fulfilling his engagements. Mahendra Meena recalled that Rajesh Pilot was a leader who lived with humility and treated everyone equally, never drawing distinctions between the powerful and the common people.

Rajesh Pilot was born in a small village in Uttar Pradesh on February 10, 1945 and he lost his armyman-father Jai Dayal Singh at an early age. Following the death, Rajesh Pilot moved to Delhi and worked as a milkman at affluent Delhi localities and later went on to join the Indian Air Force. It was in 1979 when Pilot got his ministerial break where his meeting with then Congress President Indira Gandhi began the chapter of politics in his life, and later he registered his first election win in Bharatpur and Dausa, after getting a ticket to contest the elections. Apart from this, he even emerged as a prominent Gurjar leader in the community.