Harish Rawat offers to resign from Congress posts following ED raids on aide

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat announced on Saturday that he would be willing to step down from his positions as an executive member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee and a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee. This offer follows Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on the premises of his personal assistant, Chandan Singh Jeena, who also served as Rawat's officer on special duty during his tenure as chief minister from 2014 to 2017. The ED reported recovering 32 lakh rupees in cash, 12 luxury watches, and gold jewelry from Jeena's residence.

The raids are part of a money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities during a 2016 recruitment examination conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC). The ED alleges that OMR answer sheets were illegally removed from custody and altered in exchange for payments. Rawat stated that while he believes Jeena is a humble and hardworking individual, he would be ashamed if evidence proved the allegations of tampering were true.

There is conflicting reporting regarding the status of Rawat's resignation. Some reports state that he has resigned to ensure the party's fight against corruption is not weakened. However, Rawat later clarified on social media that he has not resigned from the Congress party itself, asserting that party membership is in his blood and bones. He maintained that he would step down from his specific party posts if the situation undermined the party's narrative.

Political reactions to the event vary. Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal questioned why the center took 11 years to act on a 2016 matter and called the raids a political move. Conversely, BJP State president Mahendra Bhatt urged Congress leaders to cooperate with the ED and suggested that Rawat should retire from politics, claiming the resignation offer was an attempt to gain sympathy.