Ajit Pawar Dies in Plane Crash: President, PM Modi Lead Nation in Mourning

Sharing an X post, Murmu said that the untimely demise of Ajit Pawar is an "irreparable loss" for the nation.

wrote, "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 extremely tragic. The untimely demise of Ajit Pawar ji is an irreparable loss. He will always be remembered for his special contribution to the development of Maharashtra, especially in the cooperative sector. I express my deep condolences to his family, supporters, and admirers. May God grant strength to the families of all others who lost their lives in this accident to bear this blow."

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar and his co-passengers died when the chartered aircraft they were travelling in crashed near the landing runway of the Baramati airport this Morning. Visuals from the site showed the plane engulfed in flames, with smoke billowing.

Further, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the demise of Pawar, remembering him as a mass leader with deep grassroots.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, "Shri Ajit Pawar Ji was a leader of the people, having a strong grassroots level connect. He was widely respected as a hardworking personality at the forefront of serving the people of Maharashtra. His understanding of administrative matters and passion for empowering the poor and downtrodden were also noteworthy. His untimely demise is very shocking and saddening. Condolences to his family and countless admirers. Om Shanti."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also condoled the demise of Pawar, saying he was deeply distressed by the tragic news and hailed Pawar's decades-long dedication to public service.

In a post on X, Shah said, "Today, the news of the loss of Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister and our senior NDA colleague Ajit Pawar ji in a tragic accident has left my heart deeply distressed. The way Ajit Pawar ji dedicated himself to the welfare of every section of society in Maharashtra over the past three and a half decades cannot be expressed in words. Whenever we met, he would engage in long discussions on numerous issues related to the welfare of the people of Maharashtra. His passing is a personal loss not only for the NDA family but also for me."

"I express my deepest condolences to the Pawar family. In this hour of grief, the entire NDA stands firmly with the bereaved Pawar family. May God grant the departed soul a place at His divine feet. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti," he added.

According to DGCA, five people, including the crew, on board the chartered plane flying from Mumbai, Maharashtra, to Baramati died after a crash-landing at 8.45 am this morning. The crash landing of the Mumbai-Baramati charter plane occurred at the runway threshold in Baramati. Pawar was onboard along with 2 more personnel (1 PSO and 1 attendant) and 2 crew members. Further details about the crash are awaited.

Pawar was headed to Baramati to attend a public rally for the Zilla Parishad Elections. Pawar was in Mumbai on Tuesday, where he attended a meeting of the Maharashtra Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, chaired by CM Devendra Fadnavis. Maharashtra Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and other officials were also present.

- ANI