Baramati mourns Ajit Pawar’s death, thousands gather chanting ‘Dada, Dada’
Baramati has been plunged into deep grief following the sudden death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar. The city, considered his political stronghold, witnessed an overwhelming outpouring of emotion as thousands of party workers, supporters and local residents gathered to mourn their leader.
Large crowds assembled near the Punyeshlok Ahilyabai Holkar Government Medical College, where scenes of uncontrollable sobbing and grief were reported. People from nearby villages also began arriving in large numbers, swelling the crowds across the city. Many could be heard chanting “Give us back our Dada,” reflecting shock and disbelief over the tragedy.
As a mark of respect, several shops in Baramati remained voluntarily closed. The atmosphere across the town remained tense but peaceful, with grief dominating public spaces.
To maintain law and order amid the massive gathering, heavy police deployment was carried out across Baramati. Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill confirmed that the aircraft involved in the accident had suffered extensive damage. He said the bodies of Ajit Pawar and others present at the scene were shifted to the hospital for further procedures.
Due to the severity of the crash, officials said identification of the bodies was still underway. “The condition of the bodies is extremely critical. Technical investigations and identification procedures are being conducted at the fastest possible pace,” Gill said.
Despite the emotionally charged situation, police confirmed that no incidents of law and order disturbances had been reported so far. Authorities continue to closely monitor the situation and have appealed to citizens to remain calm and cooperate with officials.
Baramati, long known for its unwavering support for Ajit Pawar, is witnessing one of the largest public expressions of grief in its history. The district administration has urged people to allow authorities to complete all necessary procedures related to the accident and identification of the victims.
VIDEO | Mortal remains of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar brought to Baramati Medical College following his demise along with five others in an aircraft crash. Visuals from outside the hospital.#AjitPawar
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 28, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/6wJrUWARCn
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Trouble ‘Miyas’ everywhere only then they will leave Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Says “Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP are openly against them, we are saying it openly
New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that four to five lakh “Miya voters” would be removed from the electoral rolls in the state once the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists is carried out. He also made a series of controversial remarks openly targeting the Miya community, a term commonly used in Assam in a derogatory sense to refer to Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official programme in Digboi in Tinsukia district, Sarma said it was his responsibility to create difficulties for the Miya community and claimed that both he and the BJP were “directly against Miyas”.
“Four to five lakh Miya votes will have to be deleted in Assam when the SIR happens,” Sarma said, adding that such voters “should ideally not be allowed to vote in Assam, but in Bangladesh”. He asserted that the government was ensuring that they would not be able to vote in the state.
The chief minister was responding to questions about notices issued to thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims during the claims and objections phase of the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls in Assam. While the Election Commission is conducting SIR exercises in 12 states and Union Territories, Assam is currently undergoing an SR, which is usually meant for routine updates.
Calling the current SR “preliminary”, Sarma said that a full-fledged SIR in Assam would lead to large-scale deletion of Miya voters. He said he was unconcerned about criticism from opposition parties over the issue.
“Let the Congress abuse me as much as they want. My job is to make the Miya people suffer,” Sarma said. He claimed that complaints filed against members of the community were done on his instructions and that he had encouraged BJP workers to keep filing complaints.
“I have told people wherever possible they should fill Form 7 so that they have to run around a little and are troubled,” he said, adding that such actions were meant to send a message that “the Assamese people are still living”.
In remarks that drew further outrage, Sarma urged people to trouble members of the Miya community in everyday life, claiming that “only if they face troubles will they leave Assam”. He also accused the media of sympathising with the community and warned journalists against such coverage.
“So you all should also trouble, and you should not do news that sympathise with them. There will be love jihad in your own house.” He said.
The comments triggered reactions from opposition leaders. Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi said the people of Assam had not elected Sarma to keep one community under constant pressure. Congress leader Aman Wadud accused the chief minister of rendering the Constitution meaningless in the state, saying his remarks showed a complete disregard for constitutional values.
According to the draft electoral rolls published on December 27, Assam currently has 2.51 crore voters. Election officials said 4.78 lakh names were marked as deceased, 5.23 lakh as having shifted, and 53,619 duplicate entries were removed during the revision process. Authorities also claimed that verification had been completed for over 61 lakh households.
On January 25, six opposition parties the Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI(M) and CPI(M-L) submitted a memorandum to the state’s chief electoral officer. They alleged widespread legal violations, political interference and selective targeting of genuine voters during the SR exercise, describing it as arbitrary, unlawful and unconstitutional.
