Sunetra Pawar to Supriya Sule: Don't politicise Ajit Pawar's death
Synopsis
The Pawar family feud has spilled into public view again — this time over whether Ajit Pawar's fatal plane crash is being investigated with the urgency it deserves. Sunetra Pawar's appeal to 'not politicise' the death comes as Supriya Sule draws an uncomfortable comparison: an FIR against an MNS leader filed within two hours, yet no FIR months after her brother's death.
Key Takeaways
Sunetra Pawar on Thursday asked Supriya Sule to stop politicising the death of Ajit Pawar , saying the family is actively pursuing the investigation.
Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash on 28 January in Baramati ; no FIR has been registered in the case to date.
Supriya Sule had contrasted the swift FIR against MNS leader Amit Thackeray — filed within two hours — with the absence of any FIR in her brother's death.
Sunetra Pawar said the family has met PM Modi , the Union Home Minister, and other senior leaders; CM Devendra Fadnavis has given his word in the Legislative Assembly.
NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar has been pressing the government on the status of both the CID probe and a potential CBI investigation.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Thursday hit back at NCP (SP) working president and Member of Parliament Supriya Sule, asserting that no one outside Ajit Pawar's immediate family can truly comprehend the grief of his loss — and that his death must not be turned into a political instrument.
Speaking to reporters in Pune, Sunetra Pawar said the fatal plane crash that claimed the life of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on 28 January in Baramati has cast a shadow over the entire state. Her remarks were a direct, if indirect, response to Sule's sharp criticism of the state government a day earlier over the absence of an FIR in the case.
What Triggered the Exchange
The public spat was set off by an FIR registered against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) youth leader Amit Thackeray in connection with the removal of a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a Pune college. Sule, addressing a press conference at the party office in Thane on Wednesday, drew a pointed contrast: a case against Thackeray was filed within two hours of the incident, while no FIR has been lodged to date in the death of her brother Ajit Pawar.
'When a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is removed, a case is registered against Amit Thackeray within two hours. On the other hand, no FIR has been lodged yet in the death case of my brother Ajit Pawar,' Sule remarked.
Sunetra Pawar's Response
Sunetra Pawar pushed back firmly, saying the family has been actively pursuing the investigation through the highest channels. 'We are continuously striving for a thorough probe into this matter. We have met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister, and other senior leaders to present our stand. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also given his word in the Legislative Assembly regarding this and is making efforts to fulfil it. Investigating agencies are doing their job; we have full faith in the law, the Constitution, and the agencies, and it is necessary to give them the required time,' she stated.
She cautioned that repeatedly raising questions before the media does not guarantee new information and risks turning the matter into a media trial. Invoking the grief of Ajit Pawar's mother, wife, and children, she appealed that no one should play politics over the tragedy.
Ongoing Pressure Over the Probe
NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar has been consistently pressing the state government to disclose the status of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) probe into the crash and to clarify what progress, if any, has been made on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the case. The absence of an FIR months after the incident has remained a central point of contention for the opposition faction.
Political Backdrop
The Pawar family has been split between two rival factions of the NCP since a political schism. Sunetra Pawar heads the ruling NCP faction aligned with the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, while Supriya Sule leads the opposition NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction. The dispute over Ajit Pawar's death and the pace of the investigation has become a fresh flashpoint between the two wings, with the opposition arguing that political considerations are delaying accountability.
With the investigation still ongoing and no FIR registered, the coming weeks will likely see continued pressure from the Sule camp on both the state government and the ruling NCP faction to provide concrete updates on the probe.
Point of View
But it sidesteps a legitimate governance question: why has no FIR been filed months after a sitting Deputy Chief Minister died in a plane crash? The contrast Sule draws — swift police action on a photograph removal, silence on a death — is not merely political theatre; it points to a credibility gap that the ruling alliance has yet to address. The CID probe's opacity, combined with the absence of a CBI referral, risks the appearance that institutional machinery is moving at a pace calibrated by political convenience rather than urgency. Rohit Pawar's persistent questioning is the kind of accountability pressure that should prompt answers, not appeals to grieve quietly.
NationPress
4 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ajit Pawar and how did he die?
Ajit Pawar was a prominent Nationalist Congress Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He died on 28 January in a plane crash in Baramati. An investigation into the crash is ongoing, but no FIR has been registered in the case as of the latest reports.
Why is Supriya Sule demanding an FIR in Ajit Pawar's death?
Supriya Sule, working president of NCP (SP) and Ajit Pawar's sister, argues that the government has shown double standards — registering an FIR against MNS leader Amit Thackeray within two hours of a photograph removal, while taking no such step months after her brother's fatal plane crash. She raised the issue publicly on Wednesday at a press conference in Thane.
What did Sunetra Pawar say in response to Supriya Sule?
Sunetra Pawar, NCP president and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, said no one outside the immediate family can understand the pain of Ajit Pawar's loss and appealed that his death should not be politicised. She said the family has met PM Modi, the Union Home Minister, and other senior leaders, and that CM Devendra Fadnavis has given his word in the Legislative Assembly that the investigation will be pursued.
What is the current status of the investigation into Ajit Pawar's plane crash?
According to reports, a CID probe has been initiated into the crash. However, no FIR has been lodged, and the status of a potential CBI investigation remains unclear. NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar has been publicly pressing the state government for updates on both fronts.
What is the connection between the Amit Thackeray FIR and this controversy?
An FIR was registered against MNS youth leader Amit Thackeray within two hours of a report that PM Modi's photograph was removed at a Pune college. Supriya Sule used this swift action to highlight the contrast with the government's delayed response in the Ajit Pawar death case, questioning the state's priorities.
