The final farewell in Baramati as thousands bid goodbye to Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was cremated with full state honours on Thursday around 1212 pm at the Vidya Pratishtan campus in Baramati His sons Parth and Jay Pawar lit the funeral pyre even as his wife Sunetra broke down during the final ritesA testament to Ajit Pawarrsquos mass appeal was the staggering crowd of people who turned up In one emotionally charged moment an elderly woman holding a rakhi in her trembling hands broke down in tears ldquoI came to tie this rakhi for himrdquo she cried ldquoThis time my wish remained unfulfilledrdquo Ajit Pawarrsquos Ladki Bahin Yojana launched last year emerged as one of the most popular schemes in MaharashtraThe atmosphere turned deeply emotional as a massive crowd gathered for the final farewell Cries of grief and slogans of ldquoAjit Dada Amar Raherdquo and ldquoAjit Dada parat yardquo echoed across Baramati reflecting the profound public sorrow over the loss of the veteran leaderA sea of people can be seen at the Vidya Pratishtan campus in Baramati for the funeral of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar who was cremated with full state honours on ThursdayEmotional farewellAjit Pawarrsquos mortal remains were first kept for public viewing at his native village Katewadi on Wednesday evening From the early hours of Thursday supporters from across Maharashtra arrived in large numbers to pay their respects The crowd swelled to such an extent that police personnel initially struggled to manage the situation Order was later restored following an appeal by MLA Rohit PawarThe body was later brought to the Vidya Pratishtan campus in Baramati where his wife Sunetra Pawar along with other family members paid their last respectsTragic deathAjit Pawar 66 died on Wednesday morning in a plane crash at Baramati He was travelling in a midsize business jet that had taken off from Mumbai at 810 am and was scheduled to address rallies for the upcoming rural local body elections Four others also lost their lives in the crash Authorities have launched a detailed investigation into the incident including an examination of the aircraft operatorrsquos role and the condition of the Baramati airstripEnd of dynamic political eraAjit Pawar was widely regarded not merely as a political leader but as an institution of governance and development Known for his discipline decisiveness and deep connection with rural Maharashtra his demise has left party workers and supporters deeply shaken Many mourners were visibly emotional upon seeing the leader known for his commanding presence and firm voice lying still for the final timeA massive crowd gathers at the Vidya Pratishtan campus in Baramati for the funeral of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar who was cremated with full state honours on Thursday PicsBy Special ArrangementSenior leaders attend funeralSeveral senior leaders from across the political spectrum attended the funeral National leaders who made it included Amit Shah Nitin Gadkari Ramdas Athawale and Praful Patel State leadership included Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Chhagan Bhujbal Sunil Tatkare Jayant Patil Sushilkumar Shinde Ashok Chavan Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray along with members of their families Others present were Andhra Pradesh leader Nara Lokesh actor Riteish Deshmukh and several MPs MLAs and officebearers from various political parties Leaders across parties described Ajit Pawarrsquos death as an irreparable loss to MaharashtraCity villages fall silentA pall of silence descended over Pune and PimpriChinchwad as the region mourned the sudden loss of its longtime leader and former guardian ministerDeserted roads all dayAs a mark of respect the Pune District Auto Rickshaw DriverOwner Association and several city rickshaw unions announced a complete suspension of auto services on Thursday Services remained suspended from 8 am to 5 pm with unions stating the shutdown was in remembrance of Ajit Pawarrsquos contribution to the development of Pune and its surrounding areasBaramati reflects humanityEven as Maharashtra mourned Baramati witnessed an extraordinary display of compassion and social responsibilityThousands of supporters arriving from different districts were provided free food and accommodation by local residents institutions and traders Despite personal grief citizens ensured visitors faced no inconvenienceAs news of Ajit Pawarrsquos death spread waves of supporters poured into the town Local residents and business owners joined hands to arrange meals drinking water and shelter Several organisations and volunteers set up food distribution centres across BaramatiAjit Pawarrsquos mortal remains were kept at the Vidya Pratishtan grounds for public viewing late into the night Despite the cold weather and emotional strain volunteers continued distributing food and waterldquoDada always taught us the value of humanity Serving those who came to bid him farewell is the true tribute to his legacyrdquo said a local volunteer At a time of intense political and personal grief for the Pawar family the compassion shown by the people of Baramati stood out as a powerful reminder of collective humanity illuminating the moment of loss with selfless service1212 pmTime of cremation