Mumbai, February 26: Shashikant Shinde, the Maharashtra president of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), has backed Rohit Pawar’s allegations regarding the recent plane crash involving Ajit Pawar. He also addressed issues related to madrasas, the Rajya Sabha elections, Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Israel, and statements made by Nitesh Rane.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar accused Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of attempting to shield the company ‘VSR’ involved in the fatal crash on January 28, alleging that they failed to file a First Information Report (FIR).
In an interview with IANS, Shinde stated, “The demand for filing an FIR and investigating the case is valid. If Rohit Pawar had not raised his voice, the matter would have been swept under the rug. We deserve answers to our suspicions.”
Responding to Nitesh Rane’s claim that madrasas serve as terrorist hideouts, Shinde remarked that no such incidents have occurred in Maharashtra. He cautioned that if government officials make such statements, it could disrupt communal harmony. “Such petty politics should not be practiced,” he added.
Regarding the prayer conducted in the electrical department of the Malegaon Municipal Corporation, Shinde noted, “Maharashtra has never witnessed unrest based on religion or caste, but today we see attempts to politicize any issue.”
When asked about who would be nominated from NCP (SP) for the Rajya Sabha, Shinde mentioned that discussions are ongoing, and a final decision will be made in the next two to three days. Sharad Pawar has arrived in Mumbai, and a meeting is scheduled soon. “We demand that Pawar Sahab contest the Rajya Sabha elections,” he emphasized.
On February 25, while speaking to reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan complex in Mumbai, Rohit Pawar pointed out that on the day of the crash, when Ajit Pawar’s body was at the hospital for an autopsy, the DGCA released an initial report at 1:36 PM. The report indicated that an audit of VSR had been conducted in February, and no ‘Level-1 safety deficiencies’ were found. He alleged that Minister Ram Mohan Naidu had issued a statement that day, effectively giving a clean chit to the plane and pilot, even before the investigation was complete.
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