Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others were killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed in Baramati on Wednesday. The incident was reported when the plane carrying Pawar (66) and others landed near Baramati. According to Flight Radar, the flight took off from Mumbai at 8.10 am and it disappeared from radar around 8.45 am.
Ajit Pawar paid tribute to Lala Lajpat Rai
Shortly before the plane crash incident, a tweet paying tribute to the legendary freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai on his birth anniversary was posted on Pawar’s X profile.
“On this, his birth anniversary, humble salutations to the great freedom fighter, proclaimer of Swaraj, and ‘Punjab Kesari’ Lala Lajpat Rai Ji, who dedicated his all to the nation’s independence! His patriotism shall forever continue to inspire us,” read the translated tweet. Lajpat Rai was born on January 28, 1865.
Ajit Pawar was traveling to Baramati
Ajit Pawar was traveling to Baramati from Mumbai to address public meetings as part of the campaign for the February 5 zilla parishad elections in the state. There were five people on board when the aircraft crashed at 8.50 am, a police official said.
Notably, the social media has been flooded with messages of mourning and condolences following the sudden death of Ajit Pawar.
Social media users pay tribue to Ajit Pawar
One social media user wrote, “48 minutes back, you tweeted this post, and now you are no more. Life is so unpredictable. RIP, sir Om Shanthi.” Another added, “Rest in peace, sir.”
The Learjet 45 (LJ45), a mid-size business jet aircraft in which he flew, was produced by the Learjet Division of Bombardier Aerospace and the plane went off the runway while attempting to land at Baramati airport and burst into flames. Pawar is survived by wife Sunetra, a member of Rajya Sabha and two sons, Parth and Jay.
Pawar's 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).
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