Is Ajit Pawar Threatening IPS Officer Anjana Krishna?

Mumbai, Sep 8 (NationPress) The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Monday launched a sharp critique against Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, accusing him of threatening IPS officer Anjana Krishna and meddling in governmental operations to safeguard illegal enterprises.

In a pointed editorial featured in their party publication Saamana, the Thackeray faction asserted that Pawar's conduct has severely undermined Maharashtra's administrative integrity and image, demanding that legal action be initiated against him.

"If the law applies equally to all, then ministers should also face legal repercussions under the same regulations," the editorial stated, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take this matter seriously.

The catalyst for the Thackeray camp's condemnation of DCM Pawar was a viral video in which he was seen speaking to Anjana Krishna, a sub-divisional police officer in Solapur's Karmala, who was halting the illegal excavation of 'murrum'—a material used in road construction—in Kurdu village.

“Mai tere upar action lunga (I will take action against you),” DCM Pawar is heard telling Ms. Krishna. “Tujhe mujhe dekhna hai na? Tera number de do ya WhatsApp call karo. Mera chehra toh aapko samajh mein aaega na? (You want to see me, right? Give me your number or call me on WhatsApp. You will recognize my face, right?)” he allegedly told her. “Itna daring hua hai kya (how dare you?),” he questioned the officer in the video, reportedly pressuring her to cease her actions.

Although Pawar later clarified his respect for police officers and his intolerance for illegal activities, the Thackeray camp dismissed his explanation, asserting the necessity for action against him. Ministers ought to reject illegal activities, and administrators should enforce a zero tolerance policy concerning corruption and unlawful actions, stated Saamana.

“Once, Maharashtra's administrative system was the finest in the nation. Officers who succeeded in the Union Public Service Commission used to vie for opportunities in Maharashtra. Ministers did not unduly interfere with administration nor pressured officers to engage in illegal activities for their affiliates. This was due to the caution exercised by the state leaders. Now, the scenario in Maharashtra has drastically changed,” the editorial claimed.

Taking aim at DCM Pawar, the Thackeray camp suggested that the state government should issue a resolution categorizing all “illegal works” as public projects, thereby preventing any action against them.

They asserted that Pawar's intimidation of a female IPS officer for purportedly shielding illegal operations by NCP associates clearly indicates a wide-open field of corruption in Maharashtra. “It is ironic that DCM Pawar, who threatened a woman IPS officer known for her strictness and no-nonsense attitude, has provided legal cover for corruption and unlawful activities,” they stated.

“Ajit Pawar threatens IPS officers using the phone of the notorious Baba Jagtap, against whom police action was taken, and demands they safeguard his party's criminal affiliates. The Union Home Minister and Cabinet Secretary must take note of this. Pawar has accumulated wealth worth thousands of crores and encouraged his colleagues to do likewise. Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis previously criticized his Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam, yet Ajit Pawar was allowed to join the Fadnavis cabinet,” the editorial claimed.

Saamana humorously suggested that the state government issue a resolution labeling all “illegal works” as “public works,” thus shielding officers from intervening. It further mocked Pawar’s recent orders to party workers—threatening that those involved in illegal activities would be “hung upside down on a tyre”—asking, “So, at which intersection in Baramati will Ajit Pawar hang himself upside down?”

According to the editorial, had such an incident occurred in non-BJP-ruled states like West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, Jharkhand, and Himachal Pradesh, BJP members would have taken to the streets asserting that 'law and order has collapsed'.

“However, everything remains so tranquil in Maharashtra! It is as if Ajit Pawar did not threaten that police officer, but merely recited the Gayatri Mantra over the phone,” the Thackeray camp mocked.