Madha MP urges probe into Ajit Pawar's 'protocol breach' call to junior IPS officer

With the video of Pawar calling an SDPO going viral, Madha MP Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil urges CM Fadnavis to investigate the alleged interference, while stressing the pervasive influence of the murum mafia in the region.

Mumbai: Days after a video showing Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar calling Deputy Superintendent of Police Anjana Krishna during an operation at Kurdu village in Solapur district went viral, NCP (SP) MP Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order a probe into the matter.

Fadnavis, who is also the state Home Minister overseeing police affairs, has not publicly commented on the controversy. Meanwhile, Pawar, who is also the NCP President, defended his action, saying, “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.”

The incident occurred while Krishna was acting on complaints of illegal excavation of ‘murrum’ (soil used in road construction). During the operation, a party worker, Baba Jagtap, handed Pawar’s phone to Krishna, surprising the junior officer who is posted as the Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO).

Mohite Patil, the MP from Madha where the incident took place, said, “I will request the Chief Minister to look into this issue. A thorough investigation should be conducted. A case should be registered against the murum mafia. The people are frightened in Kurdu village… More than Beed, it is the mafia’s terror that prevails in Madha.”

He further criticized the breach of protocol, stating, “A person of the stature of CM or Deputy CM never calls a lower-rank official directly. Typically, they instruct the District Collector or Superintendent of Police to verify complaints and take appropriate action.”

Mohite Patil added, “When the Deputy SP conducted the raid at Kurdu village, a local got in touch with a powerful intermediary, who tried to convince the Deputy SP to back off. When that failed, the middleman forced Pawar into a conference call with the officer, bypassing official channels. A public representative should behave responsibly.”