Congress Questions 'Clean Sweep' in Union Minister Bhupender Yadav's Office as Four Key Aides Removed

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has simultaneously removed four key aides of Union Minister Bhupender Yadav. The simultaneous removals occurred through individual official orders issued on July 3.

The opposition Congress on Tuesday questioned the unusual move and demanded explanations for the sudden clean sweep. The removed staff members include Private Secretary Amar Singh, Assistant Private Secretary Siddharth Yadav and Additional Private Secretaries Shailesh Kumar Singh and Ayush Saran.

Details of the Terminations

The official termination document for Siddharth Yadav carried the signature of Under Secretary Vibhuti Panjiyar. The order was marked to the Prime Minister’s Office, Cabinet Secretariat, Department of Personnel and Training and senior officials of the Environment Ministry.

"In pursuance of Department of Personnel and Training’s O.M...dated 3rd July, 2026, and with the approval of the competent authority, the appointment of Shri Siddharth Yadav as Assistant Private Secretary to the Hon’ble Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change is terminated with immediate effect. Shri Siddharth Yadav is relieved of his duties immediately," Panjiyar said in the order.

Siddharth Yadav was one of the Minister's oldest and closest aides with RSS ties, BJP sources said, as reported by the Indian Express. In addition to handling the Minister’s administrative work, he also oversaw incoming and outgoing communication for his office and routinely interacted with Chief Ministers, Cabinet colleagues and members of the bureaucracy. Siddharth Yadav was appointed as a "political individual" on a co-terminus basis starting June 11, 2024.

The other departures featured varied official justifications. The Ministry removed Amar Singh citing "administrative grounds", while Shailesh Kumar Singh was "prematurely repatriated". The Ministry stated that Ayush Saran's appointment was "terminated".

Opposition Demands Public Answers

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has not stated any official explanation for the sudden removals. Congress leaders subsequently targeted the central government on social media platforms over the opaque clearances.

Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, took to X to criticise the decision.

"It is no secret to anyone how such appointments are made in the Modi regime. Can so much smoke rise without fire? Could this be a case of the Pradhan Mantri Chando Do, Dhandha Lo (give donation, take business) scheme going awry?" Ramesh wrote on X.

Abhishek Singhvi, a senior national spokesperson for the Congress, also raised suspicions regarding the mass termination.

"When ministerial office gets a ‘clean sweep’ overnight, it’s a story waiting to be told. Pvt Secy & multiple officials removed with immediate effect? Not a minor administrative footnote; that’s a headline. Public deserves answers: What went wrong? What (was) discovered? Who is accountable?" Singhvi posted on X.