‘Attempt to craft narrative’: Harish Rawat quits Congress posts after ED action on aide in exam case

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Saturday announced his decision to step down from the executive of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee and as a permanent invitee member of the Congress Working Committee.

This came a day after the Enforcement Directorate said it had searched the residence of his former OSD and seized assets worth about Rs 1.28 crore in connection with alleged irregularities in the 2016 Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari recruitment examination.

The ED, in a statement issued Friday, said it conducted searches at multiple locations in Dehradun on September 10 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with alleged irregularities in the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC) Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari examination, 2016.

The agency said its investigation had found that OMR answer sheets were allegedly diverted from UKSSSC’s secure custody and that under-filled OMR sheets were handed over to a private computer agency for fraudulent filling and alteration before re-sealing, allegedly in exchange for illegal gratification routed through middlemen.

At Jeena’s residence, the ED said it recovered unaccounted Indian currency of Rs 32 lakh, gold coins and chains weighing approximately 200.5 grams, and 12 luxury wristwatches. It said the total value of assets seized and frozen at his residence stood at approximately Rs 1.28 crore.

In his post on X early Saturday, Rawat acknowledged Jeena’s association with him but rejected the allegations against him. “It is true that Mr. Gina has been my OSD, and in whatever positions I have served, whether in the party or in government—he has shouldered important responsibilities.

Mr. Gina is an utterly noble, humble, and hardworking individual,” Rawat said. He added: “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 he was stepping down from his two organisational positions because he did not want the ED action to weaken the Congress’s political fight against corruption.

“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. “Therefore, having just remembered my beloved deity, I have taken a major decision: I am not on any government position, so what resignation would I tender from that!" He further said: "Yes, I am a member of the executive of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee and a permanent invitee member of the Congress Working Committee at the national level, and 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.” Rawat also framed the ED action in the context of the political battle ahead of the Uttarakhand Assembly elections, due in 2027.

“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,” he said. He said the Congress was “fighting united against corruption” and referred to Rahul Gandhi’s campaign against alleged irregularities in the education system.

On the creation of the UKSSSC during his tenure, Rawat said the commission had been established with the state’s youth in mind and claimed that more than 42,000 government recruitments were made during his three-year tenure.

“If there has been any error of judgment on our part in the appointments during that process, then I seek forgiveness from the people of Uttarakhand for it,” he said. The ED Friday stated that the matter is still under investigation.

An Award-winning journalist covering the state of Uttarakhand, Vidheesha Kuntamalla has reported on education, policy and social justice. She has broken news and written investigative stories on education, some of which have prompted responses from central universities and government authorities.

She uses the Right to Information Act as a reporting tool and enjoys telling people-driven stories through long-form journalism. Vidheesha joined The Indian Express’s Delhi City team in 2023, where she has been part of the education coverage in the newsroom, reporting on policy, institutions, and issues affecting students and communities.

Her journalism career began in 2020 as a freelance journalist after she left a career in civil engineering. She covered her home states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, focusing on gender, social justice, and politics. Vidheesha Kuntamalla Qualification, Degrees: Master of Science in Quantity Surveying from Kingston University, London Awards and Recognition: Vidheesha won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2024 for her long-form story on India’s first case of passive euthanasia.

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