In the viral video, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is heard telling IPS officer Anjana Krishna to halt the police crackdown on illegal murrum excavation in Maharashtra’s Solapur.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar has landed in a controversy after a video of him purportedly pressuring a woman IPS officer to halt action against illegal soil excavation in a village in Solapur went viral on social media. Pawar reacted to the viral clip, in a post on X, and said that he holds “the highest respect for our police force and its officers, including the women officers”.
He further explained that his 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,” he added.
The incident reportedly occurred two days ago in Kurdu village in Solapur, where sub-divisional police officer Anjana Krishna had gone to act on complaints of illegal ‘murrum’ excavation — a material widely used in road construction.
Villagers clashed with officials on the spot, prompting local NCP workers to intervene. Party worker Baba Jagtap is seen in the clip handing his phone to Krishna after dialling Ajit Pawar directly.
In the video, shared by many on social media, Pawar is heard speaking to Krishna from Jagtap’s phone. “I can understand what you are saying, but I am unable to figure out if I am talking to the Deputy Chief Minister. Can you please call me on my number directly?” the IPS officer asked.
Her reply apparently made Pawar furious. He shot back, threatening action against the IPS officer. “Ek min, main tere upar action lunga (I will take action against you. I am myself talking to you and you are asking me to call you directly. You want to see me. Take my number and make a WhatsApp call. Itna aapko daring hua hai kya (How dare you?)” Pawar said.
Since the officer does not recognise his voice, the Deputy Chief Minister later makes a video call, sternly telling her to stop the action. Krishna, in response, said she had not realised she was speaking to Pawar. The NCP leader then asks her if she recognises him by face.
The Nationalist Congress Party defended Ajit Pawar, claiming his remarks were misinterpreted. “Ajit Dada may have chided the IPS officer to pacify party workers. He didn’t mean to halt the action completely,” said state party chief Sunil Tatkare, stressing that Pawar never supports illegal activities.
Party spokesperson Anand Paranjpe added that the video was being given the wrong colour. “In a democracy, even workers’ grievances must be heard. Pawar only tried to manage the situation. The clip is being misrepresented,” he said.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar lalo backed his uncle Ajit, attributing the controversy to his straightforward nature and alleging allies are twisting the narrative to target him. Rohit urged focus on pressing issues like farmer loan waivers instead.
Furthermore, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale also came to Pawar’s defence and said, “I think Ajit Pawar is a very strong leader and a good administrator. He later talked about what happened. He did that mistakenly because he did not know she was an officer. He also admitted that what he did was not right. So this is not a matter of dispute.”
The incident has drawn some sharp reactions. NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Supriya Sule condemned the move on X, calling it an assault on constitutional values and gender equality, urging action to protect civil servants from political intimidation. Also, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut criticised Pawar, accusing him of shielding illegal activities and undermining discipline.
