Maharashtra Nationalist Congress Party president Jayant Patil was on Monday questioned for more than nine hours by the Enforcement Directorate here in a money laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in the now-bankrupt financial services firm IL&FS.
His quizzing evoked strong reactions from the Opposition which alleged "vendetta" and "dictatorship".
Patil reached the ED's office in south Mumbai at around 11.50 am in the presence of a large number of the party supporters. He came out of the office at around 9:25 pm..
"After questioning him for over nine hours, Jayant Patil was allowed to go," an official said.
As soon as Patil came out, workers and leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party surrounded him.
Addressing the crowd of party workers and reporters, Patil said he cooperated with the ED.
"I answered all the questions of Enforcement Directorate officials. I cooperated with them while recording my statement. I never did wrong things in my life," he said amid constant sloganeering by party activists, including women.
Reacting to Patil's questioning, NCP chief Sharad Pawar hinted that the action against some leaders of his party could be the fallout of their refusal to meet "expectations" of the ruling dispensation.
Pawar said they will suffer but will never deviate from the path they have chosen.
“A possibility cannot be denied that the current dispensation has had some expectations from some 9-10 leaders of NCP. We are not ready to meet those expectations and are ready to pay the price for our stand. We will never leave the path we have chosen,” he said in a veiled attack on the BJP-led Central government.
Pawar said he had a list of some key 10 leaders who have faced inquiry. "Some of them even faced action by these agencies," he said.
While NCP workers alleged "vendetta", Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray claimed that the country is transitioning from democracy to a dictatorial regime.
"Those who side with the truth, which is sometimes against the government, are being pressurised with the help of central probe agencies, and this pattern can be seen across the country," he told reporters at Nagpur airport.
NCP leader and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule said, “Of all the ED or CBI cases in the last few years, 90 to 95 per cent are against the Opposition leaders in the country. This has been widely reported by the media as well. The one who is in opposition easily gets notices from the probe agencies.”
Patil, 61, who represents the Islampur seat in Sangli district, was issued the first summons for appearance before the ED on May 12, but he had sought deferment for about 10 days citing some personal and official engagements.
He was subsequently asked to appear on May 22.
Earlier, speaking to reporters before going to the ED's office, Patil, a former minister of home and finance, told reporters that as he is part of the opposition, one needs to face such type of suffering.
"I never heard the name of the IL&FS in the past, but the ED officials have summoned me to appear before them. I will try to address their queries in the legal framework,” he said.
Considering the crowd of Patil's supporters, the Mumbai Police made elaborate security arrangements and placed barricades on the road leading to the ED's office.
Before going to the ED's office, Patil went to the NCP office, where hundreds of his supporters raised slogans in support of him and against the Union government.
A large number of NCP workers, wearing Gandhi caps and holding placards and banners, sat in front of the party office and raised slogans claiming the action against Patil was a "political vendetta".
While the Opposition cried foul, Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said Patil might have been summoned based on some information in possession of probe agencies.
"Jayant Patil need not be afraid if he has not done anything (wrong). Central agencies or state agencies are doing their work. He must have been summoned because probe agencies might be having some information or case against him,” said Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union minister Raosaheb Danve said the issue need not be politicised as ED or CBI are autonomous agencies.
“I know Patil for a long time. I think if he has been served with a notice (by ED), there must be some trail. Patil should go and clarify. If ED feels there is nothing against Patil, then he will be discharged. I do not see any kind of politics behind it,” he added.
Alleged payment of some "commission amount" by some accused companies to entities linked to Patil are under the scanner of the ED. The agency recently initiated fresh action in this 2019 case after it searched the Mumbai offices of-- Deloitte Haskins and Sells and BSR and Associates, an Indian affiliate of global accounting firm KPMG-- the two former auditors of IL&FS..
