NCP–SCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday, January 28, ruled out any conspiracy surrounding the tragic death of his nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash in Baramati. Breaking his silence on the incident, the veteran leader said the crash was purely an accident and should not be given a political conspiracy. “This is an accident, no politics in it,” Sharad Pawar said as quoted by IANS.
He added, “Some people are trying to give a political colour to the incident. There is no politics involved; it is purely an accident. It has caused immense grief to me and to the entire state of Maharashtra. I appeal to everyone not to politicise this tragedy.”
His statement came after earlier in the day, West Bengal CM raised concerns about the safety of political leaders in the country. “There is no safety or security left, not even for political leaders. We don’t know the fate of the opposition,” she had said.
The CM also referred to recent political developments, claiming she had come across social media reports suggesting that Pawar was considering exiting the BJP-led alliance. Calling the crash “deeply unfortunate,” Banerjee demanded that the investigation be conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board an aircraft were killed after it crashed near the Baramati airport. Pawar had taken off from Mumbai in the morning to address four rallies in the day in Pune district for the February 5 zilla parishad elections. The plane crash-landed near the runway threshold, killing all five. Among the deceased were his personal security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.
Details On Ajit Pawar’s Last Rites
Ajit Pawar’s last rites will be performed with full state honours tomorrow at 11 am at Vidya Pratishthan Maidan. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis announced a state holiday today and three days of mourning. During the three-day mourning period, the national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings across Maharashtra where it is regularly hoisted. No government entertainment programmes will be organised during this period.
Meanwhile, on an urgent request from the Maharashtra government, the Indian Air Force (IAF) swiftly deployed a team of Air Traffic Control (ATC) personnel along with essential technical equipment from Air Force Station Lohegaon to Baramati Airport
The IAF team is being sent to promptly establish emergency Air Traffic Control services at the airport to ensure safe and efficient management of air operations. The emergency setup included critical communication systems and other essential facilities required for air traffic coordination.
