Anita Goyal, wife of Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal, passes away
Mumbai, May 16: Anita Goyal, wife of Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal who played a key role in the management of the now-grounded airline, died here on Thursday. She was 70.
Ailing for quite some time, she died at a private hospital in the city, sources said. She is survived by husband Naresh and two children, daughter Namrata and son Nivaan Goyal.
The last rites of Anita were performed around 2 pm at the Chandanwadi crematorium in Marine Lines area. Family members and friends including industrialist Anil Ambani, Bollywood actor Shabana Azmi and her lyricist husband Javed Akhtar were present at the crematorium besides some former employees of Jet Airways, sources said.
Anita had served as non-executive vice president and a board member of Jet Airways which was grounded in April 2019 amid acute liquidity crunch after flying for 25 years.
She was in charge of key areas of revenue management and network planning at the airline when it was operational.
A former employee who had worked closely with Anita Goyal told PTI that she was completely involved in the day-to-day functioning of Jet Airways.
"Anita also used to hold meetings with representatives of aircraft makers, Boeing and Airbus, as part of her role as vice president," he said.
The Goyals stepped down from their respective positions at the airline on March 25, 2019.
In 2023, both Anita and Naresh Goyal were named as accused in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate. Naresh, once a high-flying tycoon, was arrested, and is currently on interim bail on medical grounds; Anita was never arrested.
Jet Airways is undergoing an insolvency resolution process but the final handing over of the bankrupt carrier to the winning bidder is facing legal hurdles.
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Kangana Ranaut sparks row: Claims Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem
New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.
The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.
When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.
"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."
Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."
Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."
Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.
"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."
मनरेगा का नाम बदलने की केंद्र सरकार की कवायद महात्मा गांधी के प्रति उनकी ओछी मानसिकता और असम्मान का प्रमाण है। सरकार पहले 'पूज्य बापू' के नाम का शिगूफा छोड़ती है और फजीहत होने पर अब 'विकसित भारत-गारंटी फॉर रोजगार एंड आजीविका मिशन (VB-G RAM G)' जैसा नाम थोपना चाहती है। बार-बार नाम…
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 15, 2025
गांधी जी ने ‘रघुपति राघव राजा राम’ को लेकर नेशनल एंथम बनाया था
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) December 16, 2025
BJP MP कंगना रनौत
चलो भाई आज नया नेशनल एंथम भी पता चला है!
BJP में एक से एक शिरोमणि भरे पड़े हैं 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/9DvyV5xLb1
