Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar sparked a row on Friday after his video went viral in which he reprimanded a woman IPS officer who was carrying out her professional duties against the illegal excavation of ‘murrum’ soil in Solapur district.
The incident took place in Kurdu Village of Madha taluka in Solapur District a few days ago, where Sub-Divisional Police Officer Anjana Krishna, an IPS officer, had gone to act on complaints of illegal ‘murrum’ excavation – a material widely used in road construction.
In the video, Ajit Pawar was heard asking the woman officer how she dared to ask him for his number.
Pawar purportedly spoke to Anjana Krishna, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Karmala, from the phone of an NCP worker. However, the officer didn’t recognise Pawar’s voice.
The Deputy Chief Minister is heard asking her to stop action against illegal excavation of murrum. According to the video clip, the woman officer is heard saying that she could not figure out who the Deputy Chief Minister was talking to.
“This is the Deputy Chief Minister speaking. Stop your action. I’m telling you to stop the action. Otherwise, I will take action against you,” Pawar said.
However, the woman officer told him that there was a complaint about illegal mining, and she was helping the complainant and carrying out her professional duties.
“How am I supposed to know you are the Deputy Chief Minister? Sir, please call me directly on my phone,” said the woman officer.
Her response angered Ajit Pawar, who then said, “Ek minute, ek minute main tere upar action lunga (One minute … I will take action against you).”
“I myself am talking to you. And you are telling me to call you directly. You don’t understand this much. Can you see me (on video call)? I will give you my number… Can you recognise my face? How can you dare to speak to me like this? Give me your number, and I will call you directly. Do you even recognise my face or not? Action will be taken against you,” Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar warned the woman officer.
However, Ajit Pawar, in his post on X, claimed that he has the highest respect for the police force.
“My intention was not to interfere with law enforcement but to ensure that the situation on the ground remained calm and did not escalate further. I have the highest respect for our police force and its officers, including the women officers who serve with distinction and courage, and I value the rule of law above all. I remain firmly committed to transparent governance and to ensuring that every illegal activity, including sand mining, is dealt with strictly as per the law,” the Deputy Chief Minister claimed in his X post.
However, Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut slammed Ajit Pawar and blamed him for protecting thieves, adding that he has no right to remain in the government.
“Where is your discipline? He is scolding her (the IPS officer) to protect the thieves of his party,” he said.
Raut said that the illegal excavation of ‘murrum’ soil means causing loss to the exchequer.
“You are robbing the entire state. Ministers should be ashamed,” Raut said.
Anti-corruption crusader Anjali Damania also expressed strong displeasure over the incident, saying that becoming an IPS officer, there is a feeling of doing something for the country.
“Anjana Krishna thought she would stop all this illegal work and goondaism. Little did she know that these goons had a boss sitting above them, and if anyone stops their work, every such person is targeted. This is the reason why our tehsildars, collectors, SPs, and others lack the courage to take action against them,” said Damania.
Meanwhile, NCP downplayed the controversy, with state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare claiming that it was the “usual tone” of Ajit Pawar, who had called up the police officer for the public work.
“He did not mean to stop the action completely. Ajit Pawar is known for his straight talk and never supports any illegal activity. He perhaps meant to stop the action briefly just to defuse the situation,” claimed Tatkare.
He further claimed that Ajit Pawar’s role is to talk to concerned officers to resolve the issues put up before him by a party worker or a member of the public.
“In this case also, after the party workers explained to him the nature of the work and the circumstances under which it had been started, Ajit Pawar called up the police officer and asked her to wait for proceeding further till he listened to the local farmers,” he claimed.
Tatkare also claimed that it is the job of a minister and elected representatives to talk to the concerned officers for the redressal of issues and to expedite the work.
“In this case also, the work was started after the due approval of the gram panchayat as the road was damaged,” said Tatkare.
NCP chief spokesman Anand Paranjape also claimed that the issue has been blown out of proportion.
(IANS)
