Harish Rawat resigns: Former Uttarakhand CM steps down from Congress posts amid ED probe into aide

Harish Rawat, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Congress leader, has resigned from his roles as a member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee executive and a permanent invitee to the national Congress Working Committee after the Enforcement Directorate's raid on his Personal Assistant, Chandan Singh Jeena.

According to news agency ANI, Rawat said that since he currently holds no government office, stepping down from his political posts was his chosen course of action.

He said he made this decision after invoking his Isht Devta to ensure his situation does not weaken the ongoing political struggles of the Congress party, adding that the facts of the matter will become clear in due course.

Rawat said he did not want any action or conduct on his part to weaken the party’s ongoing fight. “Therefore, after remembering my Isht Devta, I have taken a major decision. I am not holding any government post, so there is no question of resigning from one.”

“I would like to respectfully step down from both these positions, because I do not want the party’s struggle to be weakened in any way because of me,” he said.

Raids and seizures

Rawat's resignations follow recent actions by the Enforcement Directorate, which conducted searches at multiple locations in Dehradun on September 10 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

The raids are tied to alleged large-scale irregularities in the 2016 Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC) Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari Examination.

During these searches, authorities recovered 32 lakh rupees in unaccounted cash, gold, jewellery, luxury watches, and other valuables from the residence of Chandan Singh Jeena. Jeena currently serves as Rawat's PA and previously worked as his Officer on Special Duty during Rawat's tenure as Chief Minister between 2014 and 2017.

Alongside Jeena's residence, the Enforcement Directorate searched the premises of the former UKSSSC Chairman, the former Secretary, the Exam Controller, the owner of a private computer agency responsible for OMR processing, and various suspected middlemen linked to the conspiracy.

Political timing

Addressing the situation, Rawat acknowledged Jeena's crucial roles during his time in both government and the party, describing him as a “hardworking, humble, and decent individual”.

While Rawat stated he would be ashamed if evidence proved Jeena's “audacious” tampering with OMR sheets, he firmly denied the allegations.

Rawat also suggested the raids were politically motivated to create a negative narrative ahead of the high-stakes Uttarakhand elections. He remarked that he had jokingly anticipated an investigation knocking on his door closer to the elections, but agencies instead targeted his associate's door.

“Whenever anyone used to ask me when the elections would be held, I would jokingly say that the elections would take place when the CBI knocked on my door. If it has not come yet, it means the elections will be held in March-April next year,” he said. "However, this time, instead of knocking on my door, an attempt has been made to knock on the door of one of my associates and create a narrative.”

Public apology and open challenge

Acknowledging that recruitment irregularities affect the future of younger generations, Rawat apologised to the people of Uttarakhand for any known or unknown errors in judgment in appointments made during his tenure.

“If there was any error of judgment on our part during this process in relation to appointments, I apologise to the people of Uttarakhand,” Rawat added. “However, I would respectfully reiterate my claim that more than 42,000 government posts were filled during our three-year tenure.”

He publicly declared that if anyone possesses evidence of his personal interference in the recruitment or appointment processes, they should submit it to the state police, the CBI, or the Enforcement Directorate.

Rawat concluded by asserting that anyone in a position of responsibility must resist reprehensible temptations, adding that he fully considers himself deserving of legal punishment if he has committed any such lapses.