A political storm erupted in Maharashtra on Friday after a video surfaced showing Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar allegedly “threatening” an IPS officer over action taken against illegal excavation in Solapur.
While the opposition demanded Pawar’s resignation, members of the ruling coalition defended him, stating that he spoke in his “normal tone.”
The Incident: Phone Call Over Illegal Excavation
The controversy began when Pawar reportedly called Karmala Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Anjana Krishna on the phone of a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) worker. The call concerned alleged illegal excavation of murrum—a material commonly used for road construction.
As Krishna failed to recognize Pawar’s voice, the Deputy CM is heard saying in a stern tone:
“Suno, mai Deputy Chief Minister bol raha hu aur aapko aadesh deta hu ki vo rokwao (Listen, I am the Deputy Chief Minister and I order you to stop it).”
When Krishna asked him to call her official number for verification, Pawar allegedly warned:
“Mai tere upar action lunga (I will take action against you).”
He reportedly added, “Tujhe mujhe dekhna hai na… Mera chehra toh aapko samajh me aaega na (You want to see me, right? You will recognize my face, right?).”
Pawar then made a video call to Krishna and purportedly instructed her to halt the action against the excavation.
Opposition’s Sharp Reaction
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut condemned Pawar’s behavior, accusing him of protecting illegal activities for his party members.
“You are threatening an IPS officer to protect thieves of your own party. Illegal excavation of murrum is theft from the state’s treasury, and you are the finance minister. Yet you did it. Ajit Pawar has no moral right to remain in the government,” Raut said.
He further remarked that Maharashtra had been “turned into a state of thieves” and criticized ministers for using others’ phones to make such calls.
Ruling Coalition Comes to Pawar’s Defense
Leaders from the NCP and BJP dismissed the allegations of intimidation. Sunil Tatkare, NCP’s Maharashtra unit president, said Pawar merely spoke in his usual tone.
“He talks like this only… This was his normal tone. The officer was doing her work, and we don’t blame her. In a democracy, grievances are raised and leaders speak to officers to resolve them,” Tatkare stated.
BJP leader and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule echoed the sentiment, saying that Pawar had never supported anything illegal.
“What has gone viral is a conversation where he tried to give justice to people who objected to the authorities’ action. Ajit Pawar has always stood against illegal activities,” he said.
Background: Officer Recently Posted in Maharashtra
Anjana Krishna, a Kerala native, was recently posted to Solapur district. Sources suggest she was following due process in the crackdown on illegal excavation, which reportedly involves large financial losses to the state exchequer.
Political Fallout and Next Steps
The incident has sparked intense debate in Maharashtra’s political circles. The opposition is expected to raise the issue in the state assembly, seeking Pawar’s resignation. Meanwhile, the ruling coalition seems to be closing ranks around him, arguing that his comments have been misinterpreted.
Police officials have not commented on whether Krishna faced pressure to withdraw her action following Pawar’s call.
