Ajit Pawar has no right to be in govt, says Raut after video shows Deputy CM rebuking woman IPS officer

Talking to reporters, Sanjay Raut said the Deputy CM is asking an IPS officer to back illegal activities but preaches about following law to others.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday accused Ajit Pawar of protecting "thieves", and said he has no right to remain in the government, statements coming in the wake of a video purportedly showing the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister of chiding a woman IPS officer on phone.

"He is so disciplined, right? Where is your discipline? He is scolding her (the IPS officer) to provide protection to the thieves of his party," the Rajya Sabha member said.

"Illegal excavation of 'murrum' soil means causing loss to the exchequer. As this has come out in public, Ajit Pawar has no right to be in the government. Earlier, many (leaders) had to resign on moral grounds because of such instances," he said.

"You are robbing the entire state. Ministers should be ashamed," Raut alleged.

The video shows Pawar chiding the woman IPS officer who was in the midst of taking action against illegal excavation of murrum soil in Solapur district.

As per the video, Pawar speaks to the officer, Anjana Krishna, the sub-divisional police officer of Karmala, from the phone of an NCP worker. However, she doesn't recognise his voice. Pawar then makes a video call to the police officer and sternly asks her to stop action against illegal excavation of murrum soil, which is widely used as a sub-base and filling material for road construction.

During the call, Krishna is heard saying she could not figure out that it was the deputy CM who was talking to her. Pawar then asks if she recognises his face.

As the episode kicked up a row, the NCP claimed that Pawar did not intend to stop the action but might have berated the officer to placate party workers.

It also said that the clip of the incident has been intentionally leaked.