Opposition leaders on Wednesday raised questions about the plane crash that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others in Baramati, and demanded an independent investigation into the matter.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed shock at Ajit Pawar’s death in the crash and said that the “incident needs proper investigation”.
The Trinamool Congress chief told reporters that “there is no safety and security of the people of this country”.
The small aircraft crashed near an airstrip in Baramati town during its second attempt to land after having initiated a go-around. Two pilots, Pawar’s aide and a security officer were the others who died in the incident.
The cause of the crash was unclear.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, a unit of the civil aviation ministry, is investigating the crash.
On Wednesday, Banerjee said that a few days ago she had come across a claim by an unidentified leader of another party on social media that Ajit Pawar was “willing to leave” the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, India Today reported.
“And now what happened today…I need proper investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court,” she was quoted as saying. “We only trust the Supreme Court, no other agency.”
In 2023, Ajit Pawar, along with several party MLAs, joined Maharashtra’s Mahayuti coalition government comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde.
The move had led to a split in the NCP, with one faction supporting him and the other backing his uncle and party founder Sharad Pawar.
The two factions of the NCP had earlier this month contested the municipal elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad in an alliance.
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said that the demand made by Banerjee was correct.
“It’s obvious,” IANS quoted Yadav as having told reporters outside Parliament. “He was a very big leader. He had been the deputy CM several times. He was a popular leader of Maharashtra. In today’s times, when we are so aware and understand technology...such an incident should not happen with a VIP.”
He added: “We should know clearly why this incident took place. So, there should be an impartial investigation to know what caused the incident.”
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge was also quoted by ANI as saying that the party will demand an investigation into the incident.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said on social media that it was “important that a proper and transparent investigation” is carried out into the incident in the public interest.
In a video message on Wednesday evening, Sharad Pawar said that his nephew’s death was an accident and there is no politics in it. “Please do not bring politics into this,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Shinde told reporters that the comments made by Opposition leaders were “unfortunate” and it was “inappropriate to politicise the incident”.
Ajit Pawar, in his sixth term as the deputy chief minister, was flying in from Mumbai for a political rally ahead of civic polls. The state government announced a three-day mourning.
The Nationalist Congress Party leader was the MLA from Baramati for seven consecutive terms.
The 66-year-old had also been the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and an MP from the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency.
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