MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has landed in a major controversy after a video went viral allegedly showing him threatening an IPS officer while intervening in a case related to illegal sand quarrying in Solapur district.
Opposition leaders and social activists have questioned the objectionable conduct of Mr Pawar and demanded his resignation. Since late Thursday evening, the video of a conversation between Mr Pawar and 2022-23 batch IPS officer Anjana Krishna V S has been widely circulated on social media. In the video, Ms Krishna is seen speaking over the phone with Mr Pawar.
Anjana Krishna hails from Kerala, where her father is a small-time cloth merchant and her mother works as a typist in the Sina court. She is a mathematics graduate and recently cleared the civil services examination. Ms Krishna received her first probationary posting as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Solapur district.
According to sources, workers associated with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is led by Mr Pawar, were allegedly involved in illegal sand quarrying.
A complaint was lodged at Madha police station regarding the activity. Acting on the complaint, Ms Krishna reportedly rushed to the spot to stop the illegal operations. Subsequently, Mr Pawar’s party workers allegedly contacted him and urged him to intervene to stop action against them.
However, the Indian Police Service (IPS) officer doesn't recognise his voice.
In the viral video, Ms Krishna is heard speaking to Mr Pawar over another person’s phone. She allegedly failed to recognise him and asked him to call her official number directly instead of speaking through someone else’s phone. This reportedly irritated Mr Pawar, who tried to introduce himself as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. However, Ms Krishna insisted on speaking only through her official phone.
An angry Mr Pawar allegedly told her, “How dare you talk to the DCM in such a way? I will take action against you so that you remember my face.” He then reportedly made a video call to Ms Krishna on her official number, asking her not to take action against the illegal sand quarrying and directing her to speak with the town revenue officer.
However, no police complaint has been lodged in connection with the incident so far.
Reacting to the controversy, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said the viral video proves that the state is being run by bending rules and threatening upright officers. “The video shows that honest officers taking action against illegal activities are being intimidated. We have always alleged, and it has now been proved, that Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde joined the BJP and took power to protect their illegal businesses and interests,” Raut alleged.
He further said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes the moral high ground on corruption, but what is happening in Maharashtra? He is not only protecting Mr Pawar, who is a corrupt face, but empowering him with power. If the PM and CM Devendra Fadnavis have any morality left, they should sack Ajit Pawar from the DCM post and file a complaint against him for threatening the IPS officer.”