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Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. Source: Yuryi Abramochkin / RIA Novosti

Lal Bahadur Shastris death in Tashkent still raisesquestionsToday is the 109th birth anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri, a man who was considered the epitomeof honesty, openness and integrity in the world of politics. The second Indian prime minister died inTashkent in 1966 and mystery still surrounds his death.

Lal Bahadur Shastris untimelydemise on account of a heart attack

in 1966 in Tashkent was shocking.

The strange circumstances of this

tragic death, which happened only a

few hours after s igning the Tashkent

Declaration, remain the subject of

heated debate, even today, nearly

half a century later.

In 2009, Indian journalist Anuj Dhar,

known for his investigation of the

death of Subhas Chandra Bose,

made an unusual request to the

Prime Minister of India. Using the

countrys new Right to Information

Act, he sought the publication of

classified information relating to the

death of Shastri. Although the

request was turned down, the wording of the refusal, which cited raised issues of Indias foreign relations, makes

one pause. It is no wonder that such statements cause people to discuss various versions of Shastri's death that

are very different from the official one.

The first version appeared immediately after Shastri's death...

On the evening of January 10, 1966 in Tashkent, Shastri and Pakistani President Muhammad Ayub Khan, with the

participation of Alexei Kosygin, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR had signed a peace

declaration that ended the Indo-Pakistan war. The bloody confrontation in Kashmir and neighbouring regions,

claiming the lives of nearly 7,000 people, came to an end thanks to reasonable compromise by both leaders and the

skilful mediation of the Soviet Union. According to diplomatic traditions, when negotiations come to a successful

conclusion, a formal banquet is held. No disaster seemed imminent. And then at night Shastri, who had just a few

hours ago achieved peace for his country, died suddenly.

The sad news shocked everyone. The KGB was called in immediately and they placed the head waiters who had

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