Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and NCP (SP) MP Sharad Pawar on Wednesday issued his first public statement following the death of his nephew, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, firmly dismissing allegations of foul play and asserting that the incident was a tragic accident.
"It is purely an accident. There is no politics in it. Maharashtra has suffered a huge loss with the passing of Ajit Pawar. A capable leader has left us today. This loss can never be compensated," Sharad Pawar said.
Ajit Pawar, 66, was among five people killed when the aircraft they were travelling in crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district earlier in the day. The Deputy Chief Minister was en route to Baramati for official engagements.
Reacting emotionally to the sudden loss, the veteran NCP (SP) chief reiterated that there was no conspiracy behind the incident. "Some incidents are beyond politics. Everything is not in our hands. Maharashtra and all of us will have to bear the pain of this loss forever. Please do not bring politics into this," he said.
Sharad Pawar's daughter and NCP (SP) Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule was seen breaking down in tears as she arrived in Baramati along with Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra Pawar. Earlier, Sule shared a WhatsApp status saying she was "devastated" by the death of her cousin.
BIG BREAKING ? Sharad Pawar's Emotional Reaction ?
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He dismisses conspiracy theories surrounding Ajit Pawar’s demise.
He says "It was purely an accident and that there was no political angle involved" pic.twitter.com/ZM3k9BSS0l
Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said preliminary information suggested that visibility was poor at the time the aircraft attempted to land. A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has departed for Baramati to examine the crash site and begin a detailed probe, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Civil Aviation said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced three days of state mourning in honour of Ajit Pawar and said that he, along with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, was travelling to Baramati.
Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah also spoke to Chief Minister Fadnavis to take stock of the situation and receive updates on the unfolding developments.
