So, here’s the latest chapter in Indian political theatre — an air crash tragically claims the life of Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, and within hours the usual suspects in the discredited Opposition started performing their predictable somersaults.
Now, let’s be clear: this was a plane crash, not an episode of X-Files. The DGCA confirms there were no survivors, including Pawar and the crew, in the Learjet 45 that went down during an attempted landing in Baramati. Yet, across the political spectrum, certain voices decided that this was the right moment to summon their inner conspiracy theorist.
Ah yes — because in the Opposition’s universe, nothing happens without a script, a villain, a shadowy puppet master and, of course, plenty of hashtags.
Mamata’s Magical Mystery Logic
Take West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In a stunning display of political acrobatics, she claims that Opposition leaders are not safe under Modi’s rule, implying that every accidental tragedy must have a sinister Washington-Meets-RAW-Meets-NSA plot behind it.
You have to admire that level of imagination. Shakespeare wrote tragedies; the TMC supremo writes thrillers. Or is it a horror story? Hard to tell with so much blood and no evidence. All we have so far is a tragic accident — with no credible indication of foul play — yet the Opposition is already penning the screenplay for the next electoral-season blockbuster.
Really, though — are Opposition politicians now immortal? Is every unexpected event involving them suddenly upgraded to “suspicious”? If so, that would make the rest of humanity surprisingly safe.
When Death Is Conveniently Political
Let’s get some perspective: aviation accidents involving politicians are not exactly rare in global political history. Plane and road crashes have claimed many lives across governments, eras, and ideologies. Not once in India’s political annals has the default reaction among seasoned politicians been to leap to conspiracy unless there were actual, verified indicators.
And yet, today, some quarters are trying to warp a solemn tragedy into an anti-government cudgel. That’s not critique — that’s opportunistic sensationalism dressed up as grievance.
Meanwhile, the man closest to Ajit Pawar — his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar — said in no uncertain terms that this was an accident and not a political conspiracy. He urged people not to politicise the tragic loss.
Yes, that Sharad Pawar. The same man often caricatured as the puppet master of Maharashtra politics. If he can say “it’s just a tragic accident,” perhaps it’s time to trust reality and not campaign spin.
Let’s rewind. When the Grand Old Party was in office for decades, from Nehru to Indira to Rajiv Gandhi, countless accidents involving politicians — from Subash Chandra Bose to Lal Bahadur Shastri in Tashkent to other unnamed leaders — were met with grief first, conjecture later. There was discourse, yes, but not an immediate, collective leap into “Down with the Centre!” mode.
Where has that restraint gone?
Today, in a fit of pre-election angst, the Opposition — having lost electoral battles, credibility and, increasingly, relevance — seems to think every death is a political murder and every government action a scandal. They’ve forgotten that death is a natural phenomenon that spares no one — not even politicians who spend years chasing power.
What’s truly telling is the timing. With assembly elections looming in West Bengal and political winds shifting in other states, this narrative feels less like genuine concern and more like a frustrated campaign strategy.
Mamata and company are not worried about safety — they’re worried about losing power. That’s the real terror keeping them up at night — and not some vague “danger to Opposition leaders” under this government.
While the Opposition spins tales of conspiracies and judicial probes, let’s remember this: a grieving family, friends and colleagues are mourning a tragic loss. The political class’s first duty should be respect, not reflexive accusation.
Yet here we are, watching a familiar cycle: tragedy happens, some voices escalate it to political warfare. The rest watch in weary silence.
If anything, this should be a moment for unity, not a convenient cudgel for electoral point-scoring.
