Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday expressed serious concerns over the sudden and “suspicious” death of NCP chief and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, saying “something is dubious” and demanding a thorough investigation into the plane crash that killed the leader last week in Baramati.
Drawing a parallel with the death of Justice Loya, Raut questioned the circumstances surrounding the crash, asking whether there was any foul play involved.
Speaking to news agency PTI, Raut said that questions were inevitable given Ajit Pawar’s political stature. He said the manner in which a senior leader like Pawar died in a plane crash, along with details that were emerging, warranted a full investigation. He added that doubts were also being raised by members of Pawar’s own party, describing the death as suspicious and claiming that “something did happen behind the curtains.”
Raut further claimed that Ajit Pawar had been keen to reunite the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party and had initiated talks with his uncle and party founder Sharad Pawar during the final phase of his life. He alleged that some individuals were opposed to such reconciliation, as it would have adversely affected their political interests.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also alleged that Ajit Pawar had expressed a desire to “return home” politically, a move that, according to him, unsettled certain sections. Referring to past controversies, Raut claimed that Pawar had faced pressure over the irrigation scam case days before his death.
Raut said that after Ajit Pawar expressed his intent to “return home,” he was allegedly threatened with irrigation scam files by people from the Bharatiya Janata Party. He added that Pawar had responded to those threats and died mysteriously within 10 days, again drawing a comparison with the Justice Loya case while questioning whether someone had acted behind the scenes.
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Ajit Pawar died when his aircraft crashed near Baramati last Wednesday. Days after the crash, the ruling Mahayuti alliance appointed his wife, Sunetra Pawar, as deputy chief minister. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also dismissed speculation about a possible NCP merger, stating that Ajit Pawar would have informed them had there been any such plan.
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