Ajit Pawar's body to be cremated tomorrow with state honours

THE Maharashtra government declared a three-day mourning period on Wednesday following the sad demise of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. His body will be cremated with state honours on Thursday at 11 a.m., said the state government in a statement.

During these three days, the national flag will be flown at half-mast at all the buildings in Maharashtra where the national flag is regularly hoisted. Also, no government entertainment programmes should be organised during this period. It has been decided that all state government offices in the state will remain closed on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the cremation of the Deputy CM.

Meanwhile, leaders across political parties expressed grief over the death of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.

Maharashtra minister Ashish Shekar said, “The news of the untimely demise of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajitdada Pawar, in an aeroplane crash is extremely painful and shocking. Through this heart-numbing, tragic incident, the state has lost an experienced, dutiful, and steadfast leader. His strong grip on the administration, decisiveness, and zeal for the all-round progress of Maharashtra have left a distinct mark on the state's politics. Steadfastness, discipline, punctuality, and unwavering diligence were the prominent facets of his personality.”

He further added, “In this difficult time, we share in the grief of the Pawar family, along with all the workers, office-bearers, and leaders of the NCP. May they find the strength to recover from this sorrow—this is our prayer. Heartfelt tribute! Om Shanti”

Congress leader and former CM Sushil Kumar Shinde said, “I learned of this tragic incident this morning... A colleague who worked with us and stayed with us for nearly 20 years. When I was the Chief Minister, he also worked in my Council of Ministers. He was known as a very gentle, affable, and helpful worker who assisted everyone... In Maharashtra's political life, he made a name for himself... Whatever work he was given, he did it wholeheartedly, thoughtfully, and with complete depth. Especially, the work he did for the poor, farmers, and cooperatives cannot be forgotten... This is a great loss which cannot be compensated. I express my condolences."

Union Minister and Shiv Sena MP from Buldhana Prataprao Jadhav said, “I have known Ajit Dada closely since 1990... He had a very straightforward nature, spoke directly, and was hardworking. He gave great importance to time... He never hesitated in speaking clearly... Even outside the party, he worked. Today, this is a very big tragedy for Maharashtra, the shock of which has shaken all of us... This news has caused us great sorrow... I pay heartfelt tribute to him."

Congress MP Digvijaya Singh said," Ajit Pawar ji had a long political career. The question is - why did this accident occur? According to preliminary information received, an aircraft from the same company suffered a similar crash in Mumbai three years ago. This incident happened due to low visibility. DGCA should conduct a full investigation into the incident. Who is conducting the maintenance of the aircraft owned by the company which owned the crashed aircraft?"

AICC in-charge of Telangana Manikrao Thakre said, "His sudden passing is a great loss to us... This is a loss to the entire public of Maharashtra... This is a tragic incident... There is a sadness in the entire Maharashtra today.”