New Delhi, Jan 28: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday expressed deep sorrow over the demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar.
The President took to the social media platform X to convey her condolences. In her message, she said, “The news of the death of several people, including Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, Shri Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash in Baramati, Maharashtra, is deeply saddening. Ajit Pawar’s untimely demise is an irreparable loss. He will always be remembered for his significant contributions to Maharashtra’s development, especially in the cooperative sector.”
She further expressed her heartfelt sympathies to his family, supporters, and admirers, and prayed for strength for the families of all those who lost their lives in the tragic accident. Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar and four others died in a plane crash near Baramati on Wednesday. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed the deaths.
The plane crashed while landing near Baramati. Visuals from the spot show fire and smoke, mangled remains of the plane, and ambulances rushing the injured to nearby hospitals. There were people at the wreckage site trying to extend help in every possible way.
This incident occurred around 9 a.m., an hour after the plane took off from Mumbai. Deputy CM Pawar’s family rushed to the accident site. Incidentally, his wife and party MP Sunetra, and son, Parth, were set to leave for Baramati from Delhi, along with the leader’s cousin, and NCP-SP working president Supriya Sule. Amid ongoing elections to the Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis, Dy CM Ajit Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to attend a public meeting.
Emergency services and senior security officials were at the site in Baramati. Rescue teams were deployed immediately after the aircraft lost control during the landing phase. A team of DGCA officials was at the plane crash site.
More details were awaited about the plane crash. Reports said that locals had rushed to the spot on seeing the plane crashing. This incident comes after several aviation-related scares for the leader. In October 2024, a helicopter intended to pick up his party colleague Sunil Tatkare crashed in Pune, and there have been previous instances of emergency landings in the region due to bad weather.
IANS
