Ajit Pawar Reacts To Viral Video Of Phone Call To IPS Officer: 'Was Ensuring Situation On Ground...'

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has clarified on a viral clip of him berating an IPS officer over a phone call, saying that his intention was only to prevent the situation from escalating.

"My attention has been drawn to certain videos circulating regarding my interaction with police officials in Solapur. Let me state clearly that 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," Pawar said in a post on X.

The deputy CM issued this statement after a video clip of him having a heated discussion with an IPS officer, who was reportedly taking action against alleged illegal excavation of soil in Solapur, made the rounds on social media. The interaction happened on the phone of a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) worker on Aug. 31.

In the video, the leader was heard saying, "Suno, mai deputy chief minister bol raha hu aur aapko aadesh deta hu ki vo rokwao (Listen, I am the deputy chief minister and giving you the order to stop it)," Pawar can be heard telling the officer. The lady officer, Anjana Krishna, a sub-divisional police officer, had reached Solapur's Kurdu village to take action on the complaint of illegal excavation of 'murrum' soil for road construction.

Later, when the officer refused to believe that it was him and asked him to call her on her phone, he purportedly said, "Mai tere upar action lunga (I will take action against you)... Tujhe mujhe dekhna hai na. Tera number de do ya WhatsApp call karo. Mera chehra toh aapko samajh me aaega na (You want to see me, right? Give me your number or call me on WhatsApp. You will recognise my face, right?)".

Pawar, in his clarification, said that he has 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."

He said that he remains "firmly committed to transparent governance and to ensuring that every illegal activity, including sand mining, is dealt with strictly as per the law."