MUMBAI: In two different events, politicians and people from other walks of life such as Bollywood actor Nana Patekar offered tributes to late deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Monday. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Ajit Pawar was an excellent chief minister that Maharashtra never had. The feelings were expressed with an open heart in both Houses of the Maharashtra legislature where separate condolence motions were passed with emotional speeches.
“Ajit Pawar was the excellent chief minister that Maharashtra never had,” Fadnavis said in the state assembly while recalling their long association. He described Pawar as a capable administrator, the best finance minister and a leader deeply passionate about public life.
Speaker Rahul Narvekar proposed setting up a memorial in the name of Pawar in the premises of the state legislature.
“He was firmly moving towards a new horizon to fulfill his dream when the tragedy took place,” the chief minister said in a condolence meeting organized by the Pawar family where personalities from across sections of the society marked their attendance at NSCI Dome, Worli.
Top industrialists such as Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Niranjan Hiranandani, actors Nana Patekar, Jacky Shroff and leaders from across political spectrum present in a large number. “We have known each other for the last 50 years… It would have been much better if we all would have gathered to celebrate his 75th birthday,” an emotional Patekar asserted.
Governor Acharya Devvrat, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, union minister Nitin Gadkari, Speaker Rahul Narwekar, Council Chairman Ram Shinde, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aditya Thackeray, former CM Sushil Kumar Shinde, Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, former chief justice of India Bhushan Gavai and several bureaucrats and former bureaucrats were seen at the event.
Senior NCP (SP) Jayant Patil also remarked that Ajit Pawar was still the ace of spades for his uncle and political mentor Sharad Pawar. All the members from Pawar family and leaders from the Ajit Pawar’s party were present.
In the legislative council, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray compared his demise to the leaders such as Pramod Mahajan, Gopinath Munde and RR Patil. “Ajit Pawar had recently said that he was sitting in power with those who had accused him of ₹70,000 crore corruption. Why am I saying this? We tend to harass people when they are alive but praise them when they are gone. The speciality of Ajit Pawar was that he did not get frustrated due to such allegations. Had it been someone else, that person would have killed himself. Ajit Pawar responded to all the allegations through his work,” Thackeray stated.
Pawar was killed in a plane crash in Baramati. All the five people that were onboard died in the crash on January 28.