In his first reaction to the death of nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash at Baramati, veteran politician and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said it was purely an accident and there was no conspiracy behind the incident.
66-year old Ajit Pawar, along with four others were killed after the aircraft carrying them crashed while landing at the Baramati airport in Pune district earlier in the day.
In an emotional response to the tragic and sudden death of his nephew, Sharad Pawar said his loss can never be compensated. The Rajya Sabha MP also stressed that there was no conspiracy involved in the incident.
"There's no conspiracy involved; it's purely an accident. Maharashtra has suffered a huge loss with the passing of Ajit Pawar. A capable leader has left us today. Maharashtra has lost a great personality today. This loss can never be compensated," Sharad Pawar said, reported NDTV.
Further stating that some incidents are beyond politics, the 85-year-old said Maharashtra will bear the pain of Ajit Pawar's loss forever.
"Everything is not in our hands. I feel helpless. Crying may seem shameful. Some incidents have no politics behind them, and I have clearly stated my stance on this. There's no conspiracy involved; it's purely an accident. Maharashtra and all of us will have to bear the pain of this forever. Please don't bring politics into this, that's all I want to say," he said.
Sharad Pawar's daughter and NCP (SP)'s Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule was seen breaking down in tears as she arrived at Baramati, along with Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar. Earlier in the day, Supriya posted a WhatsApp status stating she was "devastated" over the death of her cousin.
Union Aviation Minister Naidu dismisses 'fake narratives'
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu also ruled out any foul play in connection with the air crash.
Interacting with newspersons after he returned to Begumpet following his visit to the crash site at Baramati, Naidu dismissed the rumours as “fake narratives”.
Calling the accident as highly unfortunate, Naidu said he would speak only after inputs from the Aircraft Accident Investigations Bureau (AAIB). "I want to base whatever I speak on true facts."
"The AAIB will carry out a detailed investigation into the incident, he added. They have already reached the accident spot along with senior DGCA officials," he said.
Asked if there were any safety lapses on the side of the operator, Naidu ruled it out. The regulator has given the nod for it to carry out operations only after thoroughly carrying out all checks.
“The operator has been running many flights,” Naidu said. The Pilot-in-Command was experienced and with over 15,000 hours of flying," he added.
Naidu’s response came after Sharad Pawar reacted to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s demand for a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the death, alleging that investigative agencies in the country have been “compromised.”
She also hinted at foul play, stating, "Even political leaders are not safe in this country, let alone common people.”
She claimed that Ajit Pawar, who walked out of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP to join the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in 2023, was planning to return to his uncle's fold.
Several opposition leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, backed Mamata's demand for a court-monitored probe into the incident.
"He (Ajit Pawar) was a big leader, served as a deputy chief minister many times, and a popular leader of Maharashtra. She (Banerjee) must have made a justified demand... Earlier as well, many VIPs lost their lives in a similar manner, so there should be an impartial probe so it can be known what the reason for the accident was," Akhilesh Yadav said.
Ajit Pawar, his Personal Security Officer, an attendant, and two crew members (pilot in command and the first officer) were killed after the aircraft crash landed at Baramati.
According to the Aviation Ministry, the visibility was poor near the Baramati airport at the time of the crash and the aircraft had abandoned an initial attempt to land. Further investigation into cause of the crash is underway.
Pawar was traveling to Baramati from Mumbai to address public meetings as part of the campaign for the February 5 zilla parishad elections in the state.
The NCP leader's funeral will be held with full state honours on Thursday in Baramati.
The Maharashtra government has declared a three-day state mourning till January 30, during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings. There will be no official entertainment during the mourning period.
(WIth inputs from S Lalitha)