Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday raised serious doubts over the sudden and “suspicious” death of NCP chief and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, saying “something is dubious” and calling for a thorough investigation into the plane crash that killed the leader last week in Baramati.Drawing a parallel with the death of Justice Loya, Raut asked, “Did someone do something here?” while questioning the circumstances surrounding the crash. Speaking to news agency ANI, Raut said questions were bound to arise given Ajit Pawar’s political stature. “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. Something did happen behind the curtains,” he said.Raut claimed that Ajit Pawar was keen to reunite the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party and had initiated talks with his uncle and party founder Sharad Pawar in the final phase of his life. He alleged that some people were opposed to this reconciliation, as it would have “shut their shops”.The Sena (UBT) leader further alleged that Ajit Pawar had expressed his desire to “return home” politically and that this move had unsettled certain sections. Referring to past controversies, Raut claimed Pawar had faced pressure over the irrigation scam case days before his death.“Ajit dada had said that he wants to ‘return home’, after that the people of 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?” Raut asked.Ajit Pawar died when his aircraft crashed near Baramati last Wednesday. Days after the crash, the ruling Mahayuti alliance appointed his wife, Sunetra Pawar, as deputy chief minister. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also dismissed speculation about a possible NCP merger, saying, “Ajit dada would have told us about it.”
