Ajit Pawar was killed in a plane crash
Mumbai/Pune: Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday asked Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu to step down from his post until the investigation into the Baramati air crash that claimed the life of Ajit Pawar is completed. Baramati MP and Ajit’s cousin, Supriya Sule, also called for a “transparent” investigation into the incident that killed five people.Rohit, who is Ajit’s nephew, claimed that VSR Ventures, the charter company that operated the Learjet plane involved in the January 28 crash, was protected. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Office is expected to issue a preliminary report by February 27.Rohit claimed that the Civil Aviation Minister and his party TDP are close to the owners of the company. “Some former ministers from Maharashtra and senior TDP ministers from Andhra Pradesh attended the wedding of Rohit Singh, son of VSR owner VK Singh,” he said, adding that Naidu should not continue as civil aviation minister on moral grounds.
He welcomed the step taken by NCP politicians, including Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, to seek a CBI inquiry into the incident.Rohit also said his family had expressed concerns about his safety as he was “loud and mighty”. He added that if there was a political angle to the incident, it might include speculation that the SP might merge with the NCP and join the NDA, or Ajit might quit the NDA. “Some groups were unhappy with either scenario,” Rohit said.
Sule said that new information “is revealed” about the incident every day, adding that “everyone is now raising questions. Therefore, we are seeking comprehensive data and an official investigation.” Sule said that Rohit was conducting a “scientific follow-up” of the matter. She added: “He lost his uncle and wants to know the truth.”
