'Lower Your Voice, Don't Raise Your Hand': Rohit Pawar Threatens Cops In High-Voltage Drama At Mumbai's Azad Maidan Police Station; Video Viral

Mumbai: A high-voltage political drama unfolded in Mumbai late Thursday night, with NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar at the centre of it, as he confronted the Mumbai Police over the mysterious detention of party worker Nitin Deshmukh. The events followed a physical altercation earlier in the day between BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar’s supporters and those of senior NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad.

The scuffle began inside the Maharashtra Assembly premises, where Deshmukh, a known associate of Awhad, was allegedly assaulted by Padalkar’s men. However, the focus quickly shifted to Rohit Pawar, who led a night-long search for Deshmukh after learning of his sudden arrest, only to be met with silence and confusion from the police.

आवाज खाली!
रोहितदादा, आव्हाडसाहेब असे नेते हीच कार्यकर्त्यांची खरी ताकद आहे. लढेंगे, जितेंगे! pic.twitter.com/mfwgI0LI3t

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Rohit Pawar's Warning To Cops At Azad Maidan Police Station

Unable to get clear answers about Deshmukh’s whereabouts, Pawar, accompanied by supporters, reached Azad Maidan Police Station, where tensions peaked. A heated exchange between Pawar and a police sub-inspector was caught on camera, showing the MLA visibly upset, saying, “Lower your voice. If you can’t answer respectfully, don’t speak at all.”

Senior police officers had to intervene to de-escalate the situation. Speaking to the media later, Pawar defended his aggressive stance. “When police officers behave rudely even with two sitting MLAs and a former minister, imagine how they would treat a common man. They might slap someone without hesitation,” he said.

विधीमंडळ आवारात राष्ट्रवादी काँग्रेस पार्टी शरदचंद्र पवार पक्षाचे कार्यकर्ते नितीन देशमुख यांच्यावर हल्ला करुन त्यांनाच पोलिसांनी ताब्यात घेतल्यामुळं आ. जितेंद्र आव्हाड साहेब यांच्यासोबत सरकारविरोधात आंदोलन केलं. आरोपीला मोकाट सोडून पिडीताला अटक करणं हे चोराला सोडून संन्याशाला… pic.twitter.com/dYYtqdcI6t

— Rohit Pawar (@RRPSpeaks) July 18, 2025

Pawar also criticised the lack of transparency in the police’s conduct, alleging that for over four hours, they were misled and denied basic information. “All we wanted to know was where Nitin Deshmukh was detained. That took just five minutes once we reached the right station. Then why was it dragged on for hours?” he questioned.

He further hinted at political pressure influencing police actions, saying, “At 2 AM, calls were being made to senior officers. All they were saying was ‘Yes Sir, Yes Sir’. This is not how a democracy functions.”

The video of Rohit Pawar’s confrontation has since gone viral, stirring debate over police accountability and political interference in law enforcement.