West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the death of Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, alleging that “all other agencies” have been “completely compromised”.
Stressing that the truth would not emerge through existing mechanisms, Banerjee said only a probe under the supervision of the Supreme Court would be credible.
“We trust only the Supreme Court. All other agencies have been completely compromised,” she told reporters here before leaving for Singur in Hooghly district.
Pawar (66), the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, and four others were killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed near Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday morning.
The Learjet 46, operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures, crash-landed at the Baramati airport. There were five people onboard, including crew members, according to the aviation regulator DGCA.
Banerjee also hinted that Ajit Pawar was planning to return to the Nationalist Congress Party faction led by his uncle Sharad Pawar NCP (SP), noting that reports circulating in recent days had pointed to such a move.
“I was truly shocked to see the news (of Ajit Pawar’s death) this morning. It shows that there is no safety or security in this country, even for political leaders,” the CM said.
“Even those who are a part of the ruling establishment today do not seem to be safe,” she added.
Mamata doing petty politics on Ajit Pawar’s death: BJP
NEW DELHI, JAN 28 (PTI): The BJP on Wednesday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her remarks on Ajit Pawar’s death in a plane crash, saying she was indulging in “petty politics” when one should stand by the bereaved family of the NCP leader.
“She has lost humanity,” Biplab Deb, the BJP co-incharge for elections in West Bengal, told PTI Videos.
Demanding an apex court-monitored probe into the death of Ajit Pawar, Banerjee has alleged that “all other agencies” have been “completely compromised”. Claiming that truth would not emerge through existing mechanisms, the TMC supremo said only a probe under the supervision of the Supreme Court would be credible.
Ajit Pawar (66) died in an air crash near the Baramati airport in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Wednesday morning. He had taken off from Mumbai in the morning to address four rallies in the day in the district for the February 5 zilla parishad elections.
Reacting to Banerjee’s remarks, Deb, a former chief minister of Tripura, said, “This is not the time to do politics, but to stand by the bereaved family members of Pawar.”
Ajit Pawar’s family, including Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, have not said “anything like that”, the BJP leader said, adding, “They have not indulged in such petty politics.”
The Maharashtra deputy CM’s uncle and NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, has asserted that the plane crash was an accident and “should not be politicised”.
Deb said Banerjee should be “ashamed” of the things happening in her own state.
“In her state, several labourers lost their lives due to a fire. She didn’t even call their families, forget about her visiting them,” he told PTI Videos in the Parliament House complex. “She has lost her humanity,” the BJP leader charged.
Lashing out at the TMC supremo, senior BJP leader Amit Malviya said, “Instead of making insensitive remarks on the unfortunate demise of Pawar, Banerjee must focus on ensuring justice and timely relief for the fire victims’ families in West Bengal.”
The fire, which broke out in two adjacent godowns in Kolkata’s Nazirabad area in the early hours of January 26 and raged for over 24 hours, has claimed at least eight lives.
Flaying Banerjee, Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia accused her of trying to mislead people, and demanded she stop indulging in such type of politics.
“Her remarks that came today are completely misleading and politically motivated. I request Mamata Banerjee to stop misleading people by making such statements,” he told PTI Videos.
“She should first think about her state where law and order has completely deteriorated. No Sanatani is safe there (in West Bengal),” the BJP MP from Assam’s Darrang-Udalguri Lok Sabha constituency, charged.