A two-minute video showing Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a heated phone conversation with a woman IPS officer has now gone viral, triggering a fresh row in the state. The video was recorded in Solapur on August 31, where the police had reached Kurdu village to act against illegal excavation of ‘murrum’ soil for road construction.
Who is the woman IPS officer?
The woman IPS officer who was seen having a telephonic conversation with Pawar is reportedly Anjana Krishna. She is a sub-divisional police officer from Kerala who recently got posted in Maharashtra.
‘Mai Deputy Chief Minister Bol Raha Hu…’
In the now viral video, Pawar is having a telephonic conversation with Krishna where he can be heard saying to her, “Suno, mai deputy chief minister bol raha hu aur aapko aadesh deta hu ki vo rokwao” (Listen, I am the deputy chief minister and I order you to stop).
Krishna, however, did not recognise his voice and asked him to call on her personal phone instead.
The video then shows Pawar raising his voice further saying, “Mai tere upar action lunga” (I will take action against you).
He continues by adding, “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? Share your number or call me on WhatsApp. You will recognise me then).
At one point, he also tells her, “Itna aapko daring hua hai kya” (You dare this much?).
Watch the video here:
Some reports suggest that Pawar even made a video call to Krishna and asked her to stop the action.
NCP says video was ‘deliberately leaked’
After the video spread widely, NCP MP Sunil Tatkare defended Pawar. He said the clip was deliberately leaked and claimed the minister never intended to stop the police action. Instead, he may have rebuked the officer in that tone to calm down party workers who were upset at the spot.