Ajit Pawar’s death shocking, politicians must be cautious: D K Shivakumar

Bengaluru

Deputy Chief Minister (Dy.Cm) and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday described the death of senior leader Ajit Pawar as “shocking” and said politicians must exercise extreme caution, especially while travelling.

Speaking to reporters near his Sadashivanagar residence, Shivakumar said the news of Ajit Pawar’s death left him deeply disturbed. “When I heard about his death, I was shocked. As politicians, we must be very careful. We need to be cautious while travelling from place to place. We have already lost many leaders in similar circumstances,” he said.

Recalling Ajit Pawar’s political stature, Shivakumar said he was a senior leader with progressive thinking. “Only recently, the Maharashtra Chief Minister had said that Ajit Pawar was cooperating in all developmental works. It is a huge loss,” he said, praying for peace for the departed soul and strength for Pawar’s family and supporters to bear the loss.

Shivakumar also noted that Ajit Pawar’s family had close connections in Bengaluru. “His family members have relatives in Bengaluru as well. I met his relatives just on Tuesday,” he added.

On Ajit Pawar’s political journey, Shivakumar said he would not comment on the leader’s past decisions. “He was a senior leader. He had left the party and returned for his political future. I do not want to speak on that. At present, he was serving as the Dy.CM of Maharashtra,” he said.

Responding to questions about the recent spate of reported air accidents and claims of technical faults, Shivakumar said he would wait for a detailed report before making any comments. “I will speak only after a comprehensive report comes out. What do I know about technical faults? Friends from Mumbai and others have shared some information, but it would be inappropriate to comment now,” he said.

Opposition exaggerating demand for Thimmapur’s resignation

Reacting to opposition parties demanding the resignation of R B Thimmapur, Shivakumar dismissed the allegations as exaggerated. “In my view, R B Thimmapur has no connection whatsoever with the controversy. The opposition is deliberately exaggerating the issue,” he said.

He further stated that he would discuss the matter in detail with the Chief Minister and then respond. “There is a clear political conspiracy behind this,” Shivakumar alleged.