Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 2 : Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday hinted at foul play in the death of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, ahead of the speculated merger of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Expressing "suspicion" over Ajit Pawar's death, Sanjay Raut said the BJP had threatened the NCP chief with irrigation scam files after he expressed a desire for the merger, adding that the former Maharashtra Deputy CM "died mysteriously within 10 days".
Sanjay Raut demanded an investigation into the plane crash incident.
"Questions will indeed be raised on the accident of Ajit Dada; questions should indeed be raised. The manner in which a leader like Ajit Pawar, a tall leader of Maharashtra, died in a plane crash and the facts which are coming to light - it should be investigated, I think there is something dubious here. These questions are being raised by Ajit Dada's party. His death is suspicious," Sanjay Raut said.
"Something did happen behind the curtains. Ajit Dada had said that he wants to 'return home', after that, the people of the BJP threatened him with Sinchan Scam files. Ajit Pawar then responded to them over the same Sinchan Scam files. He died mysteriously within 10 days of that. What do we understand from this? This reminds us of Justice Loya. Did someone do something here?" he added.
Ajit Pawar, 66, died on the morning of January 28 after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at the Baramati airport in Pune district. Among the deceased were his personal security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.
Earlier, NCP leader Amol Mitkari had said that there were some suspicions about the circumstances of the death of party leader Ajit Pawar in a plane crash and demanded a high-level probe into the tragedy.
"A prominent leader of Maharashtra, Ajit Dada, is no longer with us... There were district council elections recently, and he was coming to Baramati for election campaigning... In his final moments, there was a sudden change of route, a sudden change of pilot... Not a single piece of paper was burned, but the bodies were burned. This raises some suspicions," he said.
"I have requested the Chief Minister of Maharashtra to ensure justice by ordering a CBI inquiry. He has given an assurance that a CBI inquiry will be conducted, and I myself will try to meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah next week to ensure a high-level investigation," he added.
However, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has urged people not to politicise the death of his nephew Ajit Pawar, saying that the plane crash was an accident.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has initiated a formal investigation into the accident that claimed the lives of Ajit Pawar and four others.
Afterwards, Sunetra Pawar, leader of the Nationalist Congress Party and widow of the late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, took oath as the state's Deputy Chief Minister at Lok Bhavan in Mumbai.
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