Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Maharashtra unit President and Member of Parliament Sunil Tatkare on Monday, 9 November 2026, announced that he will serve a legal notice on Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam for making what he called baseless and fictitious allegations against him. Tatkare also declared he would no longer publicly respond to Kadam's statements, reserving his right to legal action when warranted.

Background: The Plane Crash Allegation

The dispute erupted after Kadam publicly demanded a high-level inquiry into whether Tatkare had any role in the fatal plane crash that claimed the life of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. According to reports, Pawar's flight had taken off from Mumbai bound for Baramati, and met with a horrific accident while landing at the Baramati airstrip, resulting in his death. The tragedy has since triggered intense political blame-shifting in Maharashtra.

During the Diwali festival period, Kadam escalated his attack, directly linking Tatkare to the crash and demanding a formal investigation. In a particularly sharp remark, Kadam alleged: 'Sunil Tatkare is a demonic person. He cannot be loyal to anyone. He used to be the Personal Assistant (PA) to A R Antulay saheb, and he finished him off too.'

Tatkare's Sharp Rebuttal

Tatkare firmly dismissed all the charges as entirely unfounded. Speaking to reporters, he took aim at Kadam's credibility, suggesting Kadam should first clarify his own public standing before making such allegations. Notably, Tatkare revealed that when Kadam was seeking the position of Leader of the Opposition, he had personally driven Kadam in his own car to meet Ajit Pawar, and that it was only after this intervention that Kadam secured the post.

Tatkare challenged Kadam to publicly confirm or deny this account. While asserting he would not dignify future statements from Kadam with a public response, he made clear that he would pursue legal remedies wherever necessary. In a pointed personal remark, Tatkare said Kadam had lost his 'mental balance' and required 'treatment' from a psychiatrist.

Rohit Pawar Raises Doubts Over Investigation

Rohit Pawar, reacting to questions about the allegations, said he had not directly heard Kadam's remarks but was informed about them. He alleged that the investigation into Ajit Pawar's accident was not proceeding as it should. 'We suspect that Ajit Pawar's accident was a case of sabotage. But the people in power are not dispelling that suspicion. The investigation is not going in the right direction,' he said.

Rohit Pawar added that the probe was moving at a 'snail's pace' and said those in power were 'deliberately not investigating properly.' He announced that he would deliver what he described as his most important public presentation in Mumbai on 14 or 15 November, warning that the revelations would be 'surprising.'

Political Fallout in Maharashtra

The public spat highlights deepening fault lines within Maharashtra's ruling coalition, with the NCP and Shiv Sena — both part of the state's ruling Mahayuti alliance — now trading accusations over one of the state's most sensitive recent tragedies. This comes amid an already volatile political climate in Maharashtra, where alliance tensions have repeatedly surfaced over the past year. The escalating war of words, now heading toward the courts, signals that the dispute is far from over.