Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Saturday alleged that rather than fighting the coronavirus pandemic and Chinese incursions, the Narendra Modi government is more keen to fight the opposition.
The remarks by the Congress leader came soon after a team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) left from his residence around 8 p.m. after recording his statement under the Prevention of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
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He was grilled by ED sleuths around eight hours on Saturday.
“Instead of taking action against China, dealing Covid-19 pandemic, they are attacking opposition. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (Union Home Minister Amit) Shah’s people came and questioned me and I replied to their questions” Patel told reporters.
Later, Patel, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP attacking the BJP government said, “If you were to do an analysis, you will see a clear pattern over the past many years. Every time there is Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha election or the government is facing a crisis, one or more investigative agencies become active on the instructions of one individual.”
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Taking a pot shot at the government over the handling of the China-India face-off in Ladakh and dealing with the Covid-19 situation across the country, Patel said, “Unfortunately, this time the Modi government’s failure to manage an economic, health and national security crisis is now so huge, that none of the agencies can help spin the narrative.”
Daring the government, Patel said nonetheless, our conscience is clear. “We have nothing to hide, nor are we afraid to criticise and expose the government’s failures and their past corruption,” he added.
The ED had last year also questioned Patel’s son Faisal Patel and son-in-law and advocate Irfan Siddiqui in connection with the probe.