Pune, Sep 2026 : NCP president and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Thursday responded sharply to NCP (SP) working president and MP Supriya Sule’s remarks on the investigation into the plane crash that claimed the life of her husband and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, saying that no one could understand the pain and void caused by his death better than his immediate family.
Sunetra Pawar said the tragedy had deeply affected the entire state and appealed to political leaders not to repeatedly raise the matter before the media or attempt to politicise Ajit Pawar’s death. Her remarks came a day after Sule questioned the state government over the lack of an FIR in the crash case while contrasting it with the swift police action against MNS youth leader Amit Thackeray.
Speaking to reporters, Sunetra Pawar said Ajit Pawar’s death had cast a “dark cloud” over Maharashtra and maintained that his family was equally eager to know the truth behind the incident. She said efforts were being made continuously to ensure a comprehensive investigation and that the findings should be made public as soon as possible.
“We are continuously striving for a thorough probe into this matter. We have met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister, and other senior leaders to present our stand,” she said.
Sunetra Pawar also pointed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ assurance in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly regarding the investigation. She said the Chief Minister was making efforts to fulfil his commitment and asserted that the investigating agencies were carrying out their responsibilities.
“We have full faith in the law, the Constitution, and the agencies, and it is necessary to give them the required time,” she said.
The Deputy Chief Minister further argued that repeatedly raising questions through the media would not necessarily result in new information or accelerate the investigation. She cautioned that frequent public discussions could also turn the matter into a media trial.
Taking an emotional line, Sunetra Pawar asked who could feel the loss more deeply than Ajit Pawar’s mother, wife and children. She said the family itself wanted the investigation into the plane crash to be completed at the earliest but appealed to political leaders to refrain from using the tragedy for political purposes.
Her comments came in response to remarks made by Supriya Sule on Wednesday. Addressing a press conference at the NCP (SP) office in Thane, Sule criticised the Maharashtra government and the ruling NCP faction over what she described as the lack of progress in the investigation into her brother’s death.
Sule cited the FIR registered against MNS leader Amit Thackeray following the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph at a Pune college. She questioned what she described as a contrast between the swift police response in that matter and the absence of an FIR in the plane crash case.
“When a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is removed, a case is registered against Amit Thackeray within two hours. On the other hand, no FIR has been lodged yet in the death case of my brother Ajit Pawar,” Sule said.
The dispute centres on the investigation into the plane crash in which Ajit Pawar was killed in Baramati on January 28. Questions have been raised by opposition leaders over the status of the probe, including the role of investigative agencies.
NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar has also repeatedly sought updates from the state government regarding the CID investigation into the crash and questioned what happened to the proposed CBI probe.
The latest exchange between Sunetra Pawar and Supriya Sule adds another political dimension to the continuing debate over the crash investigation. While Sule has demanded greater transparency and questioned the pace of official action, Sunetra has maintained that the family wants the probe completed but believes investigating agencies should be allowed adequate time to establish the facts.
The controversy is likely to keep the spotlight on the investigation as the Pawar family and rival NCP factions continue to differ over how the tragedy should be discussed publicly.
