A day after a video showed him rebuking and asking a woman IPS officer to stop action against illegal soil excavation, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said he did not want to interfere but was only trying to deescalate a tense situation.
As the Nationalist Congress Party chief came under fire over the incident, police registered a case against several persons for allegedly obstructing IPS officer Anjana Krishna and other officials as they were taking action against illegal ‘murum’ soil excavation in Solapur district.
In the viral video which surfaced on Thursday, Pawar was heard admonishing Krishna over phone.
“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 statement .
He values the rule of law and has the highest respect for the police force and its officers, including women officers who serve with distinction and courage, he said.
“I remain firmly committed to transparent governance and ensuring that every illegal activity, including sand mining, is dealt with strictly as per the law,” Pawar further said.
The video, aired by Marathi news channels, showed Anjana Krishna, sub-divisional police officer, Karmala, talking to Pawar on a local NCP worker’s phone. She did not recognise his voice at first.
Pawar then made a video call to the police officer, and purportedly asked her in a stern tone to stop action against the illegal excavation.
