Ajit Pawar’s last rites to be held with full state honours

According to official reports, the last rites of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who reportedly died in a tragic aircraft accident, will be held today with full state honours. The funeral is scheduled for 11:00 am on Thursday at the Vidya Pratishthan grounds near Baramati in Pune district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Union Ministers Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, are expected to attend the ceremony.

The mortal remains have been kept at the venue to allow the public to pay their final respects. In view of the reported demise, the Maharashtra government has declared a statewide holiday and announced three days of mourning. Reports state that the 66-year-old leader was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati when the chartered aircraft met with an accident during landing due to poor visibility caused by fog. The crash reportedly claimed five lives, including two pilots, a staff member, and Ajit Pawar’s personal security officer. The bodies were handed over to family members after post-mortem examinations.