Video of Ajit Pawar allegedly scolding woman IPS officer goes viral, NCP defends him

Mumbai: A video of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar purportedly reprimanding a woman IPS officer during action against illegal soil excavation in Solapur has gone viral, sparking debate.

The incident, reportedly two days old, shows Pawar speaking to Anjana Krishna, sub-divisional police officer of Karmala, from the phone of a party worker. As per the clip, Krishna did not initially recognize his voice. Pawar then made a video call and was seen asking her to halt action against the excavation of ‘murrum’ soil, widely used in road construction.

In the video, Krishna is heard saying she could not make out that the deputy CM was speaking to her, after which Pawar asked whether she recognized his face.

The NCP has defended its leader, insisting that the video was deliberately leaked. State president Sunil Tatkare said Pawar’s tone may have been stern, but his intention was not to obstruct the police action. “Ajit Dada may have chided the IPS officer to placate party workers. He didn’t mean to stop the action completely,” Tatkare said.

He added that Pawar, known for his blunt style, never supports illegal activities. “He perhaps meant to stop the action briefly just to defuse the situation,” Tatkare clarified.