Central Agency Questions Leader Of Sharad Pawar's Party For Over 9 Hours

Jayant Patil, the chief of Nationalist Congress Party in Maharashtra, was questioned for more than nine hours on Monday by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged 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".

Mr Patil reached the ED office in south Mumbai at around 11.50 am in presence of a large number of the party supporters. He left around 9:25 pm.

"After questioning him for over nine hours, Jayant Patil was allowed to go," an official said.

As soon as Mr Patil came out, workers and leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party surrounded him.

Addressing the crowd of party workers and reporters, Mr Patil said he has 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 sloganeering by party activists.

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.

"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.

Mr Pawar said he has a list of around key 10 leaders who have faced inquiry. "Some of them even faced action by these agencies," he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray claimed 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."

Mr Patil, 61, who represents the Islampur seat in Sangli district, was issued summons for appearance before the ED on May 12, but he had sought deferment for about 10 days citing personal and official engagements. He was subsequently asked to appear on May 22.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Mr Patil could have been summoned on basis of 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 Mr Fadnavis, who holds the Home portfolio.

Alleged payment of some "commission amount" by some accused companies to entities linked to Mr Patil are under the scanner of the ED. The agency recently initiated fresh action in the 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.