Harish Rawat resigned from two Congress posts following searches against his former aide.
The ED seized assets valued at ₹1.28 crore from Chandan Singh Jeena.
The agency linked its action to alleged irregularities in a 2016 recruitment examination.
Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat on Saturday stepped down from his posts in the party after the Enforcement Directorate seized assets worth about ₹1.28 crore from the residence of his former Officer on Special Duty, Chandan Singh Jeena.
Rawat resigned as a member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee executive and as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee. He said he did not want the controversy to weaken the party’s campaign against corruption ahead of the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections.
Why Rawat Stepped Down
The ED said it searched several locations in Dehradun on September 10 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The searches were linked to alleged irregularities in the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission’s 2016 Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari recruitment examination.
The agency identified Jeena as Rawat’s former OSD during his tenure as chief minister from 2014 to 2017. It also described him as presently serving as Rawat’s personal assistant.
ED recovered recovered ₹32 lakh in unaccounted cash, gold coins and chains weighing approximately 200.5 grams, and 12 luxury wristwatches from Jeena’s residence, who is currently serving as Rawat's personal assistant and served as OSD during Rawat's tenure as chief minister from 2014 to 2017. The agency valued the assets seized and frozen at about ₹1.28 crore.
What Are The Recruitment Allegations?
The ED alleged that OMR answer sheets were removed from the UKSSSC’s secure custody during the 2016 recruitment exercise.
According to the agency, under-filled answer sheets were handed to a private computer firm, where they were fraudulently completed or altered before being resealed. The ED alleged that illegal payments were routed through middlemen in exchange for manipulating the recruitment process.
Rawat acknowledged that Jeena had served as his OSD and handled important responsibilities in both the government and the Congress.
“It is true that Mr Jeena has been my OSD, and in whatever positions I have served, whether in the party or in government, he has shouldered important responsibilities,” Rawat said in a social media post.
He described Jeena as a “noble, humble, and hardworking individual” and said he did not believe the allegations against him.
“If there has been any tampering with the OMR sheets in the recruitment of gram sevaks, and if there is any evidence of such a mistake on his part, then I am ashamed of this so-called audacious act of his. However, I have absolutely no faith in this allegation,” Rawat said.
'No Weakness Should Come Into Party'
Rawat linked his decision to the Congress’s broader campaign against alleged corruption and recruitment irregularities.
“At such a time, if any action of Harish Rawat introduces any weakness in the party’s struggle, I would absolutely not want that,” he said.
Rawat clarified that he held no government position from which he could resign. He therefore decided to relinquish his two organisational roles in the Congress.
“With utmost humility, I wish to step down from both these positions, because no weakness should come into the party’s struggle on my account,” he said.
Rawat also referred to Rahul Gandhi’s campaign against alleged corruption in the education system and said Congress workers in Uttarakhand were fighting the issue collectively.
He placed the ED action in the context of the coming state election and recalled joking in the past that polls would arrive when the Central Bureau of Investigation knocked on his door.
“But this time, instead of knocking at my house, an attempt has been made to knock at the house of one of my associates and craft a narrative,” Rawat said.
Rawat Defends Recruitment Record
Rawat defended his government’s record on public-sector recruitment, saying it had filled more than 42,000 government posts during its three-year tenure.
He said his administration created recruitment boards for sectors including medical and education services and pressed the Public Service Commission to hold examinations on schedule.
Rawat acknowledged, however, that his government could have made mistakes while appointing officials responsible for recruitment.
“If there has been any error of judgement on our part in the appointments during that process, then I seek forgiveness from the people of Uttarakhand for it,” he said.
He also addressed questions over the appointment of a former UKSSSC chairman, saying the selection had been based on the official’s service record. Rawat claimed he later removed the chairman or sought his resignation after receiving complaints.
According to Rawat, former Chief Minister Major General BC Khanduri had advised him about the appointment and met him twice over the matter.
‘Law Should Punish Me’ If Evidence Emerges
Rawat said manipulating recruitment examinations amounted to “playing with the future” of Uttarakhand’s youth.
He asked anyone with evidence connecting him to recruitment interference to submit it to the CBI, ED or Uttarakhand Police. Rawat said he should face legal action if investigators established that he had knowingly or unknowingly contributed to any wrongdoing.
He added that people holding public responsibilities must avoid such conduct and said the law should take its course if evidence established his involvement.
