Mumbai

The youth wing of the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday launched a four-day nationwide ‘Asthi Kalash Yatra’ to pay tributes to late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

According to a party release, the yatra will carry Pawar’s ashes to major rivers and prominent religious sites across the country, spanning from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The immersion rituals are scheduled to take place at locations including Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar, the Sangam in Prayagraj, Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, and religious sites in Patna, Jharkhand, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Kanyakumari.

Ajit Pawar, who was also the president of the NCP, died along with four others in a plane crash near Baramati in Pune district on January 28.

The ‘Asthi Kalash Yatra’ began with prayers at the NCP’s Delhi headquarters and will continue until February 7, covering more than 10 states. The party said the initiative aims to allow people across the country to pay homage to the late leader, many of whom were unable to attend his cremation in Baramati due to time constraints.

On Tuesday, following traditional rituals at Pawar’s residence in Baramati, his son Parth Pawar handed over the ashes to office-bearers of the NCP youth wing.

Parth Pawar said his father’s leadership and ideology extended beyond Maharashtra and had found acceptance across the country, adding that many supporters were awaiting an opportunity to pay their respects.

The party said the yatra will also include condolence meetings and focus on propagating Ajit Pawar’s ideas on development, farmers’ welfare and social justice.

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The programme is being led by NCP youth wing national president Dheeraj Sharma, with party leaders and workers coordinating the nationwide outreach.