No Politics Involved, Just an Accident: Sharad Pawar on the Passing of His Nephew Ajit Pawar

As political reactions continue to pour in following the death of Ajit Pawar, Nationalist congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) chief Sharad Pawar has urged restraint, asking political leaders not to politicise what he described as a tragic accident. His statement comes amid allegations of foul play from opposition leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation.

Sharad Pawar said the incident appeared to be a “pure accident,” stressing that conclusions should not be drawn before the completion of official investigations. “There is no politics involved; this is just an accident. There is no way to compensate for the enormous loss the state has suffered,” he said, calling for dignity and sensitivity in handling the tragedy.

This marked Pawar’s first public reaction since the passing of his nephew and was widely seen as a subtle but firm response to opposition leaders who have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Earlier, Mamata Banerjee expressed shock over Ajit Pawar’s death and alleged that there was “no safety and security” even for senior political leaders in the country. She also referred to recent remarks attributed to Sharad Pawar about quitting the BJP, which have been circulating on social media.

Raising broader concerns, the West Bengal chief minister questioned the safety of national leaders, saying, “What happened today raises serious questions.” She further stated, “We have trust only in the Supreme Court, no other agency,” asserting that investigative bodies have lost their independence.

However, preliminary findings from the investigation appear to support Sharad Pawar’s position. According to an initial report, Ajit Pawar was travelling in a Bombardier Learjet 45 that was deemed airworthy, had no reported technical faults, and was being flown by pilots with a combined experience of nearly 15,000 flying hours.

Despite these findings, calls for a deeper probe have continued. Senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi led the demand for a “proper and transparent investigation” to address lingering concerns and ensure public confidence.

Veteran Congress leader Digvijay Singh also weighed in, stating that critical questions surrounding Ajit Pawar’s death must be answered. “I want to know why this accident occurred. According to what I’ve been told, the same company was involved in a similar incident three years ago in Mumbai. That crash also happened under poor visibility conditions,” Singh said.

He further added that aviation protocols typically prohibit landing attempts unless visibility extends to at least five kilometres, suggesting that weather conditions may warrant closer scrutiny.

At the time of his death, Ajit Pawar had recently aligned with his estranged uncle Sharad Pawar to contest elections against the Mahayuti alliance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune Municipal Corporation polls, marking a notable political development in Maharashtra.

The Nationalist Congress party, which split in 2023, has since witnessed renewed discussions about reunification. Although the BJP-led alliance went on to secure victory in the Maharashtra elections that year, Ajit Pawar was later granted the party’s original symbol — a move that reshaped internal dynamics within the NCP.

As investigations continue, Sharad Pawar’s appeal underscores a call for caution, urging political stakeholders to allow facts to emerge before attributing motives or drawing political conclusions from a deeply personal and tragic loss.