Baramati: Veteran politician Sharad Pawar on Wednesday ruled out any conspiracy in the plane crash that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and his nephew Ajit Pawar, saying the tragedy was “purely an accident.”

An emotional Sharad Pawar said there was no reason to suspect foul play. “Some people are trying to give a political colour to the incident. There is no politics involved; it is purely an accident. It has caused immense grief to me and to the entire state of Maharashtra. I appeal to everyone not to politicise this tragedy,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the 85-year-old leader was seen visibly shaken after landing in Baramati, hours after news of Ajit Pawar’s death broke. “How did it happen?” he was heard asking those who had come to receive him.

Sharad Pawar and his wife Pratibha Pawar flew from Mumbai to their hometown in a helicopter soon after learning about the tragedy. Later Pawar proceeded to the hospital where Ajit Pawar’s body was kept.

Ajit Pawar, one of Maharashtra’s most influential political leaders, rose under Sharad Pawar’s mentorship before the two parted ways politically in 2023, when Ajit split the Nationalist Congress Party and joined hands with the BJP. The move triggered a major split in the party and reshaped Maharashtra’s political landscape.

Despite their political differences, the two factions of the NCP had recently reunited to contest the municipal corporation elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, signalling a tentative thaw in ties.

Sharad Pawar’s remarks come as investigations into the plane crash continue, with authorities examining technical and weather-related factors behind the fatal accident.