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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Bhujbal’s chopper lands in Pune parking lot

Mumbai : In what is suspected to be a breach of aviation protocols, a chartered helicopter ferrying Food & Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal from Mumbai to Pune skipped a designated helipad and landed in a vehicle parking lot almost a km away.   The shocker happened in Purandar taluka, where Bhujbal was slated to attend a function marking the 200 th  birth anniversary of the social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule in his home village Khanwadi.   As crowds of bewildered people watched...

Bhujbal’s chopper lands in Pune parking lot

Mumbai : In what is suspected to be a breach of aviation protocols, a chartered helicopter ferrying Food & Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal from Mumbai to Pune skipped a designated helipad and landed in a vehicle parking lot almost a km away.   The shocker happened in Purandar taluka, where Bhujbal was slated to attend a function marking the 200 th  birth anniversary of the social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule in his home village Khanwadi.   As crowds of bewildered people watched from around the sprawling parking lot, the helicopter appeared to drop speed in its flight, flew over some overhead high-tension electric cables, and descended gingerly into the parking lot - raising a thick dust-storm in which it disappeared for seconds - before touching the ground.   Moments later, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) senior leader Bhujbal and others stepped out of the chopper, looked around in the unfamiliar territory before several vehicles and police teams rushed there. Minutes before there was chaos and confusion with some locals shouting warnings at the ‘wrong landing’.   Eyewitnesses said that the chopper’s powerful rotors created a thick dust storm and sparked alarm among the people in the vicinity, and many scrambled to the spot to check what exactly was going on in the parking lot.   Later, the Pune Police said that a designated helipad was available for the chopper landing but were at a loss to explain how the pilot missed it and veered off quite a distance away in the vehicle parking space. Subsequently, they asked the pilot to fly it to the correct landing spot.   Shaken and angry local NCP leaders questioned how a pilot flying a VIP on an official trip could mistake a parking lot for a helipad when the weather and visibility was clear. They demanded to know whether the helipad was improperly marked or it was a question of communication or sheer negligence.   The Pune Police indicated that they would report the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) which may take action against the errant pilot and the helicopter company.   “There was no accident. We all emerged safely. The helicopter pilot landed wrongly in a parking lot because the helipad was not visible. All of us are fine and there is nothing to worry,” said Bhujbal, before he was whisked off by his security team.   “There are many faults in numerous airplanes and helicopters, including maintenance issues and other problems. That's why I keep saying consistently that VIPs must exercise caution while flying. Fortunately, an accident was averted today, but that doesn't mean the authorities should be negligent. We expect the government to take urgent precautions.” Rohit R. Pawar, MLA, NCP (SP)

Tainted Governance

Updated: Jan 2, 2025

The shocking murder of Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, has triggered a political firestorm that has put the ruling Mahayuti coalition led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a precarious position. Beyond the tragedy itself, the political reverberations of the incident threaten to derail the goodwill the Mahayuti gained from its commanding victory in the November assembly elections.


The facts are grim. Deshmukh, a grassroots leader known for his fight against corruption, was allegedly abducted and brutally killed after intervening in an extortion attempt at a wind power plant in his village. While the police have arrested four suspects, the alleged mastermind, Valmik Karad, is a close associate of NCP leader and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dhananjay Munde. The opposition claims the government is shielding Karad, who has yet to be named an accused. This accusation has turned a heinous crime into a political flashpoint.


The Congress and other opposition parties have demanded Munde’s ouster from the cabinet until the investigation is complete, arguing that his continued presence undermines the credibility of the probe. Even some members of the ruling alliance have voiced their anger and demanded Karad’s arrest.


Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, has ordered a judicial inquiry and vowed that no one, however influential, will escape justice. But his assurances ring hollow as protests swell across the state. Public outrage is palpable. Over 28,000 gram panchayats in Maharashtra are set to observe a bandh on January 9, calling for swift justice and stricter laws to protect rural leaders.


Munde’s alleged links to Karad are the most contentious issue here. Keeping him in the cabinet risks eroding the Mahayuti’s credibility, especially given the minister’s influence in Beed. The Mahayuti’s decisive victory in November gave it a mandate to govern with integrity and efficiency. However, the goodwill it enjoys is not infinite. By failing to act decisively, the government risks squandering the public trust it has earned.


Fadnavis has an opportunity to set a precedent. Known for his administrative acumen, he must act swiftly to safeguard his government’s credibility. Allowing Munde to remain in the cabinet sends the wrong message, implying that political alliances trump justice. By dropping Munde from the cabinet until the probe concludes, Fadnavis could demonstrate that no individual, however influential, is above the law. Failure to do so could leave the coalition vulnerable to accusations of complicity and incompetence.


The sarpanch’s murder is not just a law-and-order failure but a litmus test for the Mahayuti’s governance. If the coalition fails to act decisively, it risks losing the trust of the very voters who propelled it to power. Justice for Deshmukh is not merely a legal issue but a moral obligation, and the Mahayuti must rise to meet it. Anything less would be a betrayal of the people’s trust and a blight on the state’s political landscape.

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