Baramati, Jan 29 (PTI) — Thousands of mourners gathered in Baramati on Thursday as Maharashtra bid a final farewell to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who tragically died in a plane crash, with his last rites performed with full state honours.
At the packed Vidya Pratishthan ground, Pawar’s sons, Parth and Jay, lit the funeral pyre as his wife, Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, struggled to hold back tears. The air was filled with chants of “Ajit Dada amar rahe” as people paid tribute to the 66-year-old NCP leader.
Union ministers Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Murlidhar Mohol, former Union minister Sharad Pawar, and BJP president Nitin Nabin attended the ceremony. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde were also present, alongside Supriya Sule, NCP MP from Baramati, who consoled Sunetra Pawar.
Thousands of locals and NCP workers lined the venue to offer their respects as Pawar’s mortal remains, draped in the national flag, were brought from his village Katewadi to the Vidya Pratishthan ground. NCP working president and former Union minister Praful Patel, former CMs Sushilkumar Shinde and Ashok Chavan, state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal, party leaders, and actor Riteish Deshmukh also paid homage.
Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former CM Uddhav Thackeray, along with MNS leader Raj Thackeray, offered floral tributes at Pawar’s Katewadi residence. Announcements at the funeral urged mourners to maintain silence and discipline, reflecting Pawar’s strict sense of order.
Ajit Pawar lost his life along with four others when the Learjet aircraft they were on crashed barely 200 metres from the tabletop airstrip at Baramati. Those killed included Captain Sumit Kapoor, co-pilot Capt Shambhavi Pathak, Personal Security Officer Vidip Jadhav, and flight attendant Pinky Mali. Their mortal remains have been handed over to their families.
The Civil Aviation Ministry said the aircraft had been cleared for landing after a go-around due to poor visibility, but did not give any read-back to Air Traffic Control. Moments later, it burst into flames near the edge of the airstrip. Police have registered an accidental death report in connection with the crash. The Learjet’s black box, including the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder, has been recovered.
PTI
Category: Breaking News
SEO Tags: #swadesi, #News, Baramati mourns as Ajit Pawar cremated with full state honours; Amit Shah, Nabin attend funeral