Former Congress MLA Bholanath Pandey, who once caught the nation's attention by hijacking a plane with a toy gun to demand the release of Indira Gandhi from prison, died on Friday.
The Uttar Pradesh Congress unit also took to X (formerly Twitter) earlier to express condolences for Pandey's death. "The news of the demise of former MLA and senior Congress leader Bhola Pandey is extremely sad. The contribution made by Pandey ji in the development of his area and in strengthening the party will remain unforgettable. We pray for peace to his soul and strength to his family, well-wishers, and supporters," the statement said.
"Hearing this sad news, state president Ajay Rai has written a letter to Pandey’s family and expressed condolences on behalf of the Congress family," the UP Congress added.
It is pertinent to note that Pandey, who was considered close to the Gandhi family, had reportedly hijacked an Indian Airlines plane in 1978 in protest against the arrest of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. According to reports, Bholanath Pandey along with his accomplice Devendra Pandey hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 410 with a toy gun and a ball. They asked the pilot to fly to Nepal, but the pilot refused, citing a shortage of fuel. Eventually, the plane landed in Varanasi, where the two held discussion with then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ram Naresh Yadav, a member of the Janata Party. And after hours of talks and assurances that Indira Gandhi would be released, the flight was allowed to leave and the passengers were evacuated as the rear door was allowed to be opened.
Significantly, while the two had then surrendered, but the cases against them were dropped, with the return of Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister in 1980. The incident had however brought Pandey into the national spotlight.
Political journey
Pandey, hailing from Moon Chhapra village in the Bairia area of the district, was a Congress MLA twice from the Doaba (now Bairia) Assembly constituency, serving from 1980 to 1985 and from 1989 to 1991. He also contested the Lok Sabha election from the Salempur Lok Sabha seat several times on a Congress ticket but was unable to win.
(With inputs from PTI)
