Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has landed in controversy after a video surfaced showing him rebuking a woman IPS officer over action against illegal soil excavation in Solapur.
The officer, Anjali Krishna, was reportedly taking action against local goons involved in illegal excavation of murrum soil — widely used in road construction. In the viral clip, Pawar is allegedly heard instructing her to stop.
“You stop the action and go back to your office. Tell the tehsildar that the action has been stopped on the orders of the deputy CM,” Pawar is heard saying in the call, which was made through the phone of an NCP worker.
When Krishna asked for confirmation by requesting the caller to reach her on her personal number, Pawar reportedly became angrier and sarcastically offered to video call.
“Will you be able to recognise my face? How dare you?” he is heard saying, before allegedly warning her of action for “disobeying the deputy chief minister.”
Political Reactions
The clip triggered sharp reactions on social media, with many criticising Pawar’s tone. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare supported the IPS officer, saying her decision to verify the caller’s identity was justified:
“Why should she stop the action? There was nothing wrong in wanting to verify if the call was really from the deputy CM.”
Meanwhile, the NCP defended Pawar. State president Sunil Tatkare said the deputy CM only asked the officer to defer the action due to law and order concerns.
“Pawar is known for straight talk. This is routine while dealing with bureaucracy. The clip was leaked deliberately,” Tatkare alleged.
Murrum soil is commonly used in road construction as a sub-base and filling material. Reports suggest that those behind the illegal excavation in Solapur had criminal records.
The controversy comes at a politically sensitive time, with Pawar’s party stressing that the deputy CM did not intend to stop the action permanently but to postpone it.
