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Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board an aircraft were killed after it crashed near the Baramati airport
in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Wednesday. Pawar had taken off from Mumbai in the morning to address four rallies in the day in Pune district for the February 5 zilla parishad elections. As the development has come as a shock for many, Ajit's last on X, formerly Twitter, has surfaced on social media, however, it was deleted soon after his tragic demise.
What Ajit Pawar Said in Last Post on X
In his last post on X, Ajit Pawar remembered Lala Lajpat Rai and paid a humble tribute to the freedom fighter saying, "On the occasion of his birth anniversary, humble salutations to the great freedom fighter, proclaimer of Swarajya, and Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai ji, who dedicated his all for the nation's independence! His patriotism will forever continue to inspire us."
However, the post appeared to be deleted soon after Ajit Pawar died in the chopper crash.
What We Know About Ajit Pawar's Chopper Crash
An official said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team will visit the crash site and investigate the accident. The dead include two crew members, he added.
According to Flight Radar, the Learjet aircraft, operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures, took off from Mumbai at 8.10 am and disappeared from radar around 8.45 am. The aircraft crashed at 8.50 am, a police official said.
There were five passengers, including Pawar, his Personal Security Officer and an attendant, along with two crew members (pilot in-command and the first officer) on board when aircraft crashed, a DGCA official said.
Superintendent of Police, Sandip Singh Gill, said that after the crash, there was a fire. "People onboard were immediately taken to the hospital," he said.
Pawar is survived by wife Sunetra, a member of the Rajya Sabha and two sons, Parth and Jay.
His Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had contested the recent municipal corporation elections in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad in alliance with his uncle Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP).
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several other leaders cutting across party lines from all over the country expressed grief over Ajit Pawar's demise.
With inputs from PTI
