Opposition Demands High-Level Probe Into Ajit Pawar Plane Crash
Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) question CID inquiry; demand high-level investigation
Mumbai: The allegations of foul play into the accidental death of NCP chief Ajit Pawar continue to surface as opposition leaders on Friday demanded a high-level inquiry into the plane crash. Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe or a high-level judicial inquiry into the plane crash at Baramati, which killed the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
His demand after the Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra announced a CID probe into the air crash at Baramati airport, which killed Ajit Pawar on Wednesday.
“I don’t think anything much will come out of the CID investigation. There are many questions in people’s minds (about the accident). Is this a plane crash or sabotage? If you look at social media (posts) regarding this, 80 percent of the people believe that it is sabotage, not an accident. So, the state government should conduct a thorough high-level inquiry to come clean on this matter and remove doubts in people’s minds,” he added.
“Yesterday (January 29), I was in Baramati between 8 and 8:15 am. The visibility was perfectly clear. According to the information given, the visibility was clear up to 3000 meters, which means 3 kilometers. If the visibility was clear up to 3 kilometers, then I don’t think there would be any problem. A high-level inquiry should definitely be conducted in this regard,” Wadettiwar said.
Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare too raised questions over the claims of low visibility. “Many are citing low visibility at Baramati airport as the reason for the accident. But the plane was clearly visible circling in the CCTV footage from a considerable distance. If there was foggy weather, how is the footage of the plane circling in the CCTV so clear?” she asked.
“Although it is not appropriate to talk about this immediately, questions raised by Trinamool Congress President Mamata Banerjee are very important. Why is not a single leader in the ruling party saying firmly that this inquiry must be done or that we should conduct this inquiry even at the international level? Why have NCP leaders Praful Patel, Hasan Mushrif and Dilip Walse Patil, who are the second rung in the party after Ajit Dada, so silent? This is not just a loss for the Pawar family, it is a loss for Maharashtra,” Andhare said.
Another Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also demanded a thorough probe into the air crash. “There is a need for a thorough investigation into the manner in which the accident occurred. I know that Baramati Airport did not have radar. There was no ATC or any other system. So who is responsible for such an accident?” Raut said.
Earlier West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had hinted at the possibility of foul play demanding a Supreme Court-monitored investigation. However, NCP founder Sharad Pawar said that the incident was purely an accident and must not be politicised.
