Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a strong attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for raising suspicions over the plane crash that claimed the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, calling her remarks “deeply regrettable” and an example of “petty and dirty politics” over a tragic loss.
Reacting to Mamata Banerjee’s demand for a Supreme Court-monitored, high-level investigation into the crash, Fadnavis said it was unfortunate that a tragic death was being politicised. “It is sad that politics is being played over someone’s demise. This is stooping to a very low level,” he said, adding that such statements amounted to defaming a leader who could no longer defend himself.
Fadnavis pointed out that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar had already clarified that the incident was an accident and had appealed to political leaders to refrain from speculation. “When senior leaders from the family itself have ruled out foul play, it is irresponsible for others to create doubts and narratives,” the Maharashtra CM said.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also echoed Fadnavis’s sentiments, urging political restraint and sensitivity. “I met Ajit Pawar’s family. They are devastated. He was a kind-hearted leader who made a significant contribution to Maharashtra’s politics. This tragedy should not be turned into a political controversy,” Shinde said.
Earlier in the day, Mamata Banerjee alleged that Ajit Pawar was planning to leave the NDA and join the INDIA bloc, raising questions over the circumstances of the crash. She demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe, claiming that Pawar was expected to change political sides and questioning how the incident occurred.
Ajit Pawar, 66, was killed along with four others, including pilots and security personnel, when their small aircraft crashed in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Wednesday morning. The incident occurred near Baramati while the aircraft was attempting to land. Pawar’s last rites are scheduled to be held on Thursday at Baramati.
Ajit Pawar had joined the NDA government in Maharashtra after breaking away from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Although the two NCP factions recently came together for civic body elections in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, the alliance achieved limited electoral success.
As political reactions continue to pour in from across party lines, leaders from the ruling alliance have reiterated that the focus should remain on mourning the loss of a senior public figure rather than drawing political inferences from an ongoing investigation into a tragic accident.
