Harish Rawat offers to quit 2 Congress posts after ED seizes his PA’s assets

Amid rumours that he had resigned from the Congress, former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat on Saturday said he has offered to step down from two Congress posts, a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided premises of his personal assistant, Chandan Singh Jeena, in a money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in a 2016 state recruitment exam and recovered cash, gold and luxury watches.

The Congress leader said he wished to step down as a member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee and as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee at the national level if the ED actions undermine the Congress’ narrative of fighting corruption. He said he didn’t want any action or conduct on his part to weaken party’s ongoing fight.

Also Read: Harish Rawat resignation row: Why is Congress leader’s PA facing ED raids?

“I am not holding any government post, so there is no question of resigning from one. However, I am a member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee executive and a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee at the national level. 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 on X.

He also alleged that the action against his assistant was politically motivated, and with an eye on next year’s polls in the state.

Also Read: Harish Rawat offers to quit Congress posts after ED raids on PA: ‘No weakness should come’

ED said in a statement on Friday that it had raided Jeena on Thursday and seized cash worth ₹32 lakh and a dozen luxury wristwatches. Jeena is currently serving as a personal assistant (PA) to Rawat and had earlier served as officer on special duty (OSD) during the Congress leader’s tenure as chief minister from 2014-17.

The searches were carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act at multiple locations in Dehradun, including those belonging to the former chairman, secretary and exam controller of the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC), the owner of a private computer agency engaged in processing OMR sheets and some alleged middlemen. ED did not name the chairman and secretary in its statement.

Also Read: Harish Rawat clarifies he hasn't quit Congress posts, but may resign over ED action

ED’s probe stems from four Uttarakhand Police and Vigilance Bureau FIRs registered over alleged irregularities in the Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari Exam conducted by UKSSSC in 2016.

The answer sheets were diverted from UKSSSC’s secure custody to the private residence of its then secretary, the agency said. “Investigation has revealed that OMR sheets were diverted from UKSSSC’s secure custody to the private residence of the then Secretary, UKSSSC, where the roll numbers of under-filled OMR sheets were noted down and handed over to private computer-agency personnel to fraudulently fill and alter answer bubbles before re-sealing—in exchange for illegal gratification routed through middlemen,” ED said in a statement.