Ajit Pawar Breaks Silence On Viral Video Of Heated Talks With Woman IPS Officer: 'Intention Was Not To Interfere, But...'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Mahrashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar clarified about the viral video of heated talks with a woman IPS officer, claiming that his“intention” was“not to interfere with law enforcement but to ensure that the situation on the ground remained calm and did not escalate further.”

It was alleged that Ajit Pawar was upbraiding the officer for taking action against goons illegally excavating material used in road construction in a village in Solapur, Maharashtra. The video of the incident soon went viral , with party leaders weighing in on the situation.

What did Ajit Pawar say

“My attention has been drawn to certain videos circulating regarding my interaction with police officials in Solapur. 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. I have the highest respect for our police force and its officers, including the women officers who serve with distinction and courage, and I value the rule of law above all. I remain firmly committed to transparent governance and to ensuring that every illegal activity, including sand mining, is dealt with strictly as per the law,” Ajit Pawar posted on X, after the incident.

Ajit Pawar's statementWhat NCP leaders said

After the video of the incident went viral, Ajit Pawar's party, NCP, denied that the Deputy CM tried to stop an IPS officer from taking action against the illegal excavation of soil.

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“Ajit dada may have rebuked the IPS officer to placate party workers. He didn't mean to stop the action completely,” NCP state President Sunil Tatkare was quoted by Indian Express as saying.

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Meanwhile, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said that Ajit Pawar did that“mistakenly”.

“I think Ajit Pawar is a very strong leader and a good administrator. He later talked about what happened. He did that mistakenly because he did not know she was an officer. He also admitted that what he did was not right. So this is not a matter of dispute,” Ramdas Athawale told ANI.s

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