Priyanka Chaturvedi (ANI image)
NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Saturday flagged the gap between Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s call to respect women police officers and the conduct of his party’s MLC Amol Mitkari.In a post on X, she questioned, “Who drafted Ajit Pawar ji’s X post, is he even aware what his handle has posted and what his MLC is doing?” Chaturvedi highlighted the contradiction between Pawar’s public defence and the actions of Mitkari, who has written to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) seeking verification of IPS officer Krishna’s educational and caste documents.In her post, she even shared a copy of Mitkari’s letter to the UPSC, pointing to the apparent disconnect between Pawar’s statements and his party’s actions.The controversy erupted after a viral video from Kurdu village in Madha tehsil of Solapur on August 21 showed deputy CM allegedly threatening IPS officer Anjana Krishna, who had gone to the spot to stop illegal soil excavation for road construction.
During the standoff, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) worker Baba Jagtap handed his phone to the officer, connecting her to Ajit Pawar.In the video, Krishna is heard telling Pawar, “Sir, can you do one thing and call me on my number directly?” To which Pawar allegedly responded, “Just one minute, I will take action against you. I am talking to you, and you are asking me to call you directly. You want to see me? You can take my number and WhatsApp call me. Itna aapko daring hua hai kya? (Are you that daring?).”Earlier, the NCP leader had denied threatening the officer. In a post on X, he said his interaction in Solapur was misinterpreted and insisted that his intention was only to maintain calm on the ground.
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“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,” he wrote.Pawar stressed that he had “the highest respect” for the police force, including women officers and promised strict action against illegal sand mining. “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,” he added.
