Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was laid to rest with full state honours on Thursday after a shocking plane crash in Baramati. The ill-fated aircraft had been travelling from Mumbai to Pune with six people on board when it crashed onto the runway and exploded into flames upon impact. The devastating update had also flashed on TV for his mother Ashatai Pawar — with the staff rushing to shield her from heartbreak.
According to a Lomat report, she had been watching television within the family’s Baramati farmhouse when the accident took place. And as thousands waited for an update on the people within the crashed jet, the farmhouse staff had quietly cut the TV cables. They also put her phone on flight mode and insisted that nothing had happened in order to avoid breaking the tragic news. The farmhouse manager said she had even quizzed them whether Pawar had met with an accident.
“We told her nothing had happened, but she insisted on seeing Ajit Pawar. Then came the news that Dada had been taken to Baramati Hospital. We were telling Asha Tai that nothing had happened, but she had already started walking out of the farmhouse, saying she needed to see him. Finally, we reluctantly took her to the bungalow in Baramati,” Economic Times quoted farmhouse manager Sampat Dhaygude as telling the media.
What happened to Ajit Pawar?
The NCP chief had been on his way to Pune for multiple election campaign events when his plane crashed at Baramati airport on Wednesday morning. Tracking data from Flightradar24 suggests the plane carrying Pawar was attempting a second approach to the runway when it crashed.
There was a massive explosion. After that, we rushed here and saw that the aircraft was on fire. There were 4-5 explosions in the aircraft again. More people came here, and they tried to pull the people out (of the aircraft). But since this was a huge fire, people could not help. Ajit Pawar was onboard and this is really painful for us. I can’t describe it in words…” an eyewitness told ANI.
The crash occurred at the threshold of runway 11 at 8:48 am — leaving no survivors as the jet shattered into pieces and burst into flames. Videos shared online showed smoke billowing out from the burning wreckage of the plane as it lay scattered across an open field.
Last rites performed with full state honours
Pawar was laid to rest with full state honours in Baramati on Thursday morning —with his two sons lighting the funeral pyre. Key political leaders including Union Minister Amit Shah and Nitin Gadkari were in attendance for his last rites. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended with his other Deputy (Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde in tow). Both factions of the NCP were in attendance with Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule spotted interacting with other guests.
A large number of people also gathered at the Vidya Pratishthan ground to bid a final farewell to the Nationalist Congress Party leader, reflecting the widespread public mourning over his demise.