A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against National Congress Party (NCP) workers at Kurduwadi police station on Friday, September 5, after a purported video of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar speaking with an IPS officer and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Anjali Krishna has been shared on social media platforms and has now gone viral.
In a viral clip, a heated exchange between the Dy CM Pawar and officer Krishna can be heard, where he ordered the officer to stop action against the excavation of murrum (a mud widely used in road construction). NCP workers, including Baba Jagtap, have been booked under various sections of illegal mining and obstructing government servants.
Kurduwadi police registered a case for illegal mining under 303(2), 3(5) of BNS and Section 9.15 of the Environment Protection Act and BNS Sections 132, 189(2), 189(3), 189(5).
Clarifying the viral video of DY CM Pawar, senior Maharashtra BJP leader and minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule defended Deputy Chief Minister on Friday, saying, "Sometimes, public representatives like MLAs, MPs and ministers receive complaints from workers who say, 'This happened to me, the Tehsildar did this, the ZP officer did this, the police did this.'"
Minister Bawankule said that after receiving complaints from party workers, we immediately raise the issue, but often we don't know the exact matter. He said Pawar never scolded any government officials for doing illegal or wrong work. "The issue that arose regarding him and the video that went viral is one such case," he added.
Meanwhile, in a viral video which Pawar was seen talking over the phone to the IPS officer Krishna to stop the action. “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 was heard saying.
After the officer said he didn't recognise him over the phone call, Pawar could hear saying, "“How dare you? I will take action against you. You will at least recognise my face, won’t you?"
Meanwhile, NCP workers included Baba Jagtap, who called Deputy CM Pawar and handed over the phone to Krishna. This is taking place in the Kurdu village of Solapur district of Maharashtra during the road construction work.
NCP state president Sunil Tatkare has also reacted to the viral video, saying it was done deliberately. “Ajit Dada may have chided the IPS officer to placate party workers. He didn’t mean to stop the action completely," Tatkare said.