Mumbai, September 4, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The political dispute over the investigation into the fatal plane crash involving former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar intensified on Friday, with NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar targeting the 40 MLAs of the rival NCP faction and questioning their position within the ruling MahaYuti government.
Rohit Pawar criticised the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction for seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the crash through letters to the state government but, according to him, failing to secure action despite even sending a reminder.
“40 MLAs from Ajit Pawar’s party (NCP) had demanded a CBI probe into the crash, and they even had to send a reminder letter for it. It is unfortunate that even after sending a reminder to your own government, it gets thrown into the dustbin,” Rohit Pawar said while addressing the media.
He questioned why the NCP legislators continued to remain in government despite what he described as the administration’s failure to act on their demand.
“If these people had any self-respect, they would have walked out of power immediately. Not everyone possesses self-respect; you have to struggle to maintain it, and that is precisely what we are doing,” he said.
The remarks came a day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Sunetra Pawar responded to concerns raised by NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule over the reported non-registration of a formal First Information Report (FIR) in connection with the crash.
Sunetra Pawar had urged against politicising the tragedy and said that the Pawar family and the NCP-SP had full faith in the investigating agencies.
Sule had earlier criticised the state government over what she described as a lack of action on the crash investigation. She compared the situation with the swift law-and-order measures taken against political figures, including Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena chief Amit Thackeray, and questioned why an FIR had not been registered in connection with her brother’s death.
Rohit Pawar, while highlighting his family relationship with Ajit Pawar, said his demand for a thorough investigation was driven by both personal responsibility and public interest.
“I am a member of the Pawar family. My surname is Pawar, and the person who passed away was my uncle. As a nephew, it is my effort to see that justice is served to him,” he said.
He added that the death of a senior political leader in such circumstances had created concerns among people across Maharashtra and called for a proper investigation.
Rohit Pawar also alleged that attempts to register an FIR at three different locations in Maharashtra had not received adequate attention from the authorities.
“We visited three different places in the state to file an FIR regarding the accident, but no attention was paid to us,” he alleged.
He further said that if an FIR relating to the crash was eventually registered in Karnataka, the Maharashtra government would have reason to be “ashamed”.
Rohit Pawar said he had postponed a scheduled press conference at which he intended to present what he described as new evidence after receiving additional information related to the matter.
The exchange has further sharpened the political confrontation between the rival Pawar factions, with the opposition continuing to press for a detailed probe into the circumstances surrounding Ajit Pawar’s fatal plane crash.
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