Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], January 28 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday condoled the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who died in the Baramati Plane Crash along with four others. He said that his death has been an irreparable loss to the country.
Speaking to the reporters, the Chief Minister expressed solidarity with Pawar's family members.
"It's very sad news. Ajit Pawar was a senior legislator who served as a minister and Deputy Chief Minister. I had visited Baramati once, when Supriya Sule was the Lok Sabha Member of Parliament. During that time, Ajit Pawar was very popular in the constituency and had won from Baramati multiple times. His death is a great loss for the country. He was with Sharad Pawar in NCP. And later, they had some differences, and he joined the BJP. Then later they become good. I pray that his family get the strength and may his soul rest in peace," CM Siddaramaiah stated.
Earlier today, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar expressed shock over the death of Ajit Pawar and called it a "huge loss", urging politicians to exercise greater caution while travelling, especially abroad.
Remembering Ajit Pawar as a progressive leader, the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister said that Pawar had earned the confidence of many leaders across party lines in Maharashtra.
"Ajit Pawar is a leader with very progressive ideas. The Maharashtra Chief Minister had said just the other day that he is cooperating in all works. May his soul rest in peace. May the Lord give his family and supporters the strength to bear the grief," Shivakumar said.
Ajit Pawardied this morning after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district. The plane crash-landed near the runway threshold, killing all five people on board the chartered plane. Among the deceased were his personal security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.
The crash occurred around 8.48 am, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau have dispatched probe teams to the site of the mishap to investigate.
Pawar was on his way to Baramati to campaign for the Zilla Panchayat elections.
The Maharashtra government has announced three days of state mourning.
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