'Enforcement Directorate won't come after me,' says BJP MP
Sanjay Patil, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Maharashtra, on Sunday said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will not target him as he is a member of the ruling party. Patil's comment is in line with allegations from Opposition parties that the central government has been using top probe agencies to go after their leaders. Here's more on this.
Why does it matter?
During the past several years, Opposition parties including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, and the Shiv Sena have alleged misuse of central probe agencies by the BJP-led central government. Leaders like Abhishek Banerjee and Ajit Pawar have been targeted in days leading up to crucial state elections. The Centre and the probe agencies, however, have denied the allegations.
What did Patil say?
"The ED won't come after me as I am a BJP MP," Patil, an MP from Sangli, said at the inauguration of a shopping mall there. "We have to take loan in order to purchase luxury cars worth Rs. 40 lakh to show off. The ED will be surprised to see the amount of loan we have," he added.
Patil follows in colleague's footsteps
Patil's comment comes just days after his colleague, Harshvardhan Patil, had made a similar claim. "Everything is easy-going and peaceful (in BJP). I get sound sleep as there are no inquiries," he had said at an event. His remark came as an embarrassment for the BJP and the four-time MLA later issued a "clarification" for it.
He said statement was 'misinterpreted'
"I made a statement while I had gone to Maval for a hotel inauguration day before yesterday. That statement is being misinterpreted which is why I am here to give clarification," he had later said.
