Ambernath Deputy President Sadashiv Patil Faces Backlash Over Corruption Remarks

On Friday, Sadashiv Patil, the deputy president of the Ambernath municipal council, drew widespread criticism after a video of him making controversial remarks about corruption went viral. Speaking during a general body meeting in Ambernath, Mumbai, Patil, a member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), allegedly suggested that corruption and theft are acceptable as long as they are kept to a lower percentage.

The incident occurred while the general body was actively discussing allegations of irregularities in various civic works. Patil was seated on the dais alongside other office-bearers when he made the statement: "corruption and theft should happen to some extent, but the percentage should be less." The remark immediately triggered strong reactions from those present inside the meeting hall.

Ambernath municipal council president Tejashree Karanjule of the Shiv Sena attempted to intervene. Karanjule, who is known for taking action against corruption and had previously helped Patil secure his election as deputy president, tried to stop Patil from continuing his speech.

However, Patil resisted the interruption and defended his controversial remarks. According to those in attendance, Patil responded to the intervention by saying, "Why should one be afraid of speaking the truth? Nobody is going to hang us."

The exchange was captured on video and quickly shared across social media platforms. The footage drew sharp criticism from local citizens online. Many social media users raised concerns over how an individual holding a public office could make statements that appeared to justify corrupt practices.

Following the conclusion of the general body meeting, Patil attempted to clarify his comments to reporters. He claimed that his statement had been misunderstood and asserted that he had actually intended to convey that "corruption should not happen" rather than defending it.