AAP complaint against Ajit Pawar for 'threatening' villagers

An Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Baramati Lok Sabha constituency has accused Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar of threatening villagers of cutting off their water supply if they did not vote for Supriya Sule, Nationalist Congress Party nominee and daughter of the party chief Sharad Pawar. AAP candidate Suresh Khopade, in his complaint submitted at Vadgaon police station, has alleged that Pawar issued the threat of cutting off water supply during an election speech at village Masalwadi village under Baramati constituency of Pune district on April 16, a purported video of which was aired on television.

In the complaint, which cites the video under reference, Pawar allegedly tells the villagers of Masalwadi in his campaign speech in support of Sule that "If anybody from this village indulges in any trouble (failing to vote for Sule), I will cut off the water supply."

Pawar's statement was purportedly in response to complaints by the assembled villagers regarding inadequate water supply.

When contacted, Assistant Police Inspector Vilas Bhosale told PTI that the police had received Khopade's complaint but no case has so far been registered against the deputy chief minister because police and Election Commission officials would have to check whether the video, which has almost zero visibility, is genuine or not.

"Due process will be followed after preliminary investigations into the complaint before registering it," he said. Khopade had actually filed his complaint with election officials and not with police, as it pertained to election campaign and code of conduct, Bhosale said, adding that the concerned video too had not been handed over to the police.

"The application of complaint by Khopade was given to police belatedly on April 17 while the actual speech was urportedly made on April 16," he said. An AAP spokesman said the party hoped that all concerned officials would take due note of Khopade's complaint against Pawar, who was campaigning for his sister Supriya Sule, the sitting member of Parliament from Baramati.

Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule could not be contacted for their comments.