A Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) functionary on Wednesday released an audio recording of what he said was the last phone call made by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar minutes before the fateful plane crash that killed him and four others in Baramati on January 28.
The audio clip was released by party functionary Shrijeet Pawar, a distant nephew of Ajit Pawar, in Baramati, where Shrijeet said he received a call from his uncle shortly before the crash and shared a screenshot of his phone showing that the call was received at 8.37am. The aircraft crashed around 8.45am.
According to Shrijeet, the call was made in response to a message he had sent to the NCP leader suggesting that the Mali community be given representation in the ongoing Zilla Parishad elections. “As soon as his phone got a range, he must have received the message and called me from the aircraft to clarify his thoughts,” Shrijeet told reporters in Baramati.
In the audio, Ajit Pawar can be heard saying, “You are reacting but you know nothing. We are taking all the castes and communities together.”
When Shrijeet said that he had merely shared his feelings, Pawar is heard responding, “I agree, you are right. But I have already given a Zilla Parishad ticket to the Mali community. That seat falls under OBC reservation. Other parties fielded candidates from other communities.”
Speaking to reporters, Shrijeet said the recording reflected Pawar’s lifelong commitment to equality and social justice. “I have shared the call recording to ensure Maharashtra gets to know what Ajit Dada stood for until his last breath,” he said.
Ajit Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati on January 28 to campaign for the Zilla Parishad elections. His aircraft was scheduled to land at Baramati airport at 8.45 am, but the pilot failed to land it on the first attempt. During the second attempt, the plane flipped mid-air and crashed near the airstrip, killing all on board.