Fresh Allegations, Suspicion Raised Over Ajit Pawar Plane Crash in Maharashtra

Mumbai: New controversy has emerged surrounding the tragic plane crash that claimed the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others, with leaders from the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) questioning the circumstances of the accident and demanding a comprehensive investigation.

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar claimed that a large section of people in Maharashtra believe there is something “suspicious” about the incident. He raised questions about the last-minute replacement of the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft and pointed to discrepancies in passenger details.

“Around 80 per cent of people in Maharashtra feel that something is suspicious in this incident,” Wadettiwar told reporters. “Orders to change the pilot came at the last moment. Now, another issue has come up: there were six passengers on board, but only five bodies were recovered. When such questions arise, I believe an impartial probe is necessary. A CID inquiry alone will not achieve anything.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also voiced doubts, suggesting that Pawar’s plans to reunite the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) — one led by him and the other by his uncle Sharad Pawar — had created tensions within the ruling MahaYuti alliance. Raut claimed that pressures arising from these political dynamics warranted a deeper examination of the crash.

“He died mysteriously, within days of charting a return to his roots,” Raut said, demanding a full-scale investigation into the circumstances of the crash.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, swiftly rejected the allegations as “baseless and unsubstantiated.” Chitra Wagh, BJP MLC from Maharashtra, described the claims as “reckless and unfounded,” dismissing suggestions that Pawar faced political pressure from within the alliance.

The debate over Pawar’s death was earlier stirred by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who hinted at political motives by suggesting Pawar was contemplating a departure from the BJP before the accident occurred.

As political divisions deepen over the tragic event, calls are mounting for authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent probe into the circumstances surrounding the crash.