The leader of the ‘Tamil homeland’ cause in Sri Lanka, Velupillai Prabhakaran, was declared dead by the Sri Lankan authorities on May 18, 2009. His death has become a matter of contention, fourteen years after the announcement as a veteran Tamil leader, Pazha Medumaran has claimed otherwise.
The ex-congressman stated that the controversial leader is “alive and healthy”. He also added that Prabhakaran will soon make a public appearance.
Prabhakaran | Deccan Herald
The news of a leader’s death floating decades after the event is not a new phenomenon. There are several leaders whose deaths remain mysterious, even years after the official announcement.
Here is a list of the leaders whose deaths continue to be mysterious.
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Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
Syama Prasad Mukherjee – Wikipedia
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was a part of Pandit Nehru’s first cabinet. A strong orator, he played a crucial role in disseminating the message of India’s freedom to the smaller pockets of the country.
Although a part of the first cabinet, he was far from being a congressman. As a result of which he left the party and founded Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the political wing of RSS.
Mukherjee was suffering from dry pleurisy and also had a few coronary problems. He had been warned by the doctors about his allergy to penicillin, yet he was provided with the same. Besides, there are also many question marks over the post-mortem, as it was never conducted.
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Lal Bahadur Shastri
Credits – My Nation
India’s second Prime Minister died in office, just like his predecessor, but under more mysterious circumstances. Shastriji was in Tashkent for a summit which was organised by Soviet Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin. The meeting was meant to be between the Indian PM and his Pakistani counterpart President Ayub Khan. The Tashkent declaration meant that the two armies would return to their positions. However, in an unfortunate turn of events, the same night Shastri had multiple heart attacks in the night, which led to his death. His wife later stated that the cause of death was not a heart attack but poisoning. His body, which had turned blue, also hinted at the same claim.
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Abdul Ghani Lone
Abdul Ghani Lone. Credits – Scroll.in
The Kashmiri separatist was shot dead amidst tight security and a huge crowd. It was later found out that the people who shot him were in uniform. They also threw hand grenades before leaving the place.
Earlier a supporter of the militancy, Lone had transformed into becoming a supporter of the cause of independence of Kashmir. He was assassinated on the anniversary of Mirwaiz Maulvi Mohammad Farooq.
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L.N. Mishra
LN Mishra. Credits – India Today
Mishra was one of the most important people in the close-knit circle of Indira Gandhi. The then railway minister was on a tour to open a railway line in his home state, Bihar. While giving a speech, a blast took place on the dais, which resulted in severe injuries to the leader. There were several theories linked to his death, and a group even pointed fingers at the CIA.
