Against the backdrop of the massive tragedy in Raigad’s Irshalwadi village on Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said that he will not celebrate his 64th birthday on Saturday, July 22.

He also called upon his breakaway Nationalist Congress Party leaders and activists to refrain from organising any kind of revelry on his birthday.

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“All the money to be spend on cakes, flowers, bouquets, banners, hoardings, advertisements, etc., should be diverted for use to redevelop the Irshalwadi village and help the victims of the tragedy,” Ajit Pawar appealed, in a statement in which he expressed deepest condolences over the incident.

Ajit Pawar made the plea while coordinating the rescue and relief works for Irshalwadi village — a large part of which was crushed when a portion of a 550-meter high hillock suddenly broke loose and crashed onto it around 11.54 p.m. on Wednesday night, claiming at least seven lives so far and trapping more than 80 under the sludge.

Earlier, his faction had planned to organise grand statewide celebrations on July 22, three weeks since he took over as Deputy CM for a record fifth time on July 2 after splitting the NCP founded by his uncle, Sharad Pawar.