Pankaja Munde’s chopper faces technical snag, she says, ‘Work will not stop’

She, four others and two pilots were to take off from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar at 11 am where the minister had campaigned for party candidates yesterday.

The minister reached the helipad much before the scheduled time. “However, when the pilots were trying to start the chopper, it failed to operate.”

A technical team is inspecting the fault. Munde will fly by another chopper, BJP sources said.

Last Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar took off in a private chartered plane which crashed near Baramati airport. Ajit Pawar died along with four others. Pawar was arriving in Baramati to campaign for party candidates.

Munde who then reached Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar by another chopper, said, ”Yesterday as well, I realised there was some technical fault with the helicopter. And therefore, I chose not to travel by that helicopter. I was told that another one would be sent, but that too was delayed. I could have cancelled the meeting by giving these reasons, but it didn’t feel right. People were waiting. Since this is an election driven by grassroots workers, it is essential to stand by them. I needed to hold the meeting to give them energy and strength. Even though the meeting started two hours late, people were willing to wait.”

Munde said her mother gets worried and keeps asking about her well-being. “Whenever I fly, my mother gets worried. Did she land safely? Did she take off?” She keeps asking…After Ajit Pawar’s accident, everyone has been shaken. Because of this, people are stressed. Many party workers are even sending messages asking not to use planes or helicopters.”

However, the Minister said  currently, there is no alternative.

“All technical aspects are cleared before sitting [in the aircraft], so there is no reason to be afraid. The work will not stop. No matter what happens, the tour will not be cancelled. It’s natural for new people to feel scared, but one must fulfill their duty.”