Ajit Pawar pipes down after backlash for scolding cop

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, never known for a light touch, has once again landed himself in controversy. A day after a video showed him berating a woman IPS officer and asking her to call off a raid on illegal soil excavation in Solapur, Pawar claimed he was not interfering with policing but merely trying to “calm tempers”.

In the clip, repeatedly aired by Marathi news channels, sub-divisional police officer Anjana Krishna is first heard on a local NCP worker’s phone, apparently not realising she was speaking to Pawar. When he switched to a video call, he snapped: “What is this action you are taking? Stop it immediately. Why are you creating tension?” The tone or the words left little room for interpretation.

The incident took place on 31 August, when Krishna and revenue officials moved to crack down on excavation of murrum soil at Kapre Wasti. Police have since booked several individuals for obstructing her in the course of duty under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Environment Protection Act.

Pawar, in a hurried statement, claimed: “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.” He insisted he had “the highest respect” for the police force, particularly women officers, and reiterated his commitment to act against illegal mining.

The explanation convinced few. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut accused him of shielding lawbreakers, remarking: “Illegal excavation of murrum soil means causing loss to the exchequer. Ajit Pawar has no right to be in the government.”

Police associations too voiced unease. Representatives from the Maharashtra Police Gazetted Officers’ Association privately expressed that the incident had “demoralised a young officer who was simply doing her job”. Retired IPS officers, speaking to local media, warned that public scoldings from senior politicians “set a dangerous precedent” and could embolden local strongmen to defy law enforcement.

This is hardly Pawar’s first brush with charges of high-handedness. His career is littered with episodes of browbeating officials, his infamous 2012 “urinating in the dam” remark during the irrigation scam protests still a touchstone for critics of his arrogance.

Allies scrambled to defend him. BJP minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule suggested Pawar might simply have been misled by party workers. NCP legislator Amol Mitkari, however, went further, targeting Krishna instead — questioning her credentials and alleging she leaked the video. His remarks drew condemnation from NCP (SP) leaders Supriya Sule and Clyde Crasto, who accused him of intimidating an honest young officer.

Adding to the theatre, Pawar’s nephew Rohit Pawar of the rival NCP (SP) suggested his uncle had walked into a “trap” laid by allies, though he admitted the IPS officer bore no blame.

The Solapur case is still under investigation, but the episode has reignited debate over Ajit Pawar’s leadership style: imperious with officials, quick to justify himself, and forever insisting that his heavy hand is for the greater good.

With PTI inputs