Congress leader Harish Rawat offers to step down amid aide's corruption probe

Senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat made a stunning political move Saturday, offering to step down from two key party positions amid a corruption probe targeting his former aide. The announcement came hours after Enforcement Directorate officials raided the residence of Chandan Singh Jeena, who served as Rawat's officer on special duty during his chief ministerial tenure.

A political storm brewing

The raids center on alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission during Rawat's administration. In a carefully worded social media statement, Rawat acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations while maintaining his government's integrity.

"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."

Defense and defiance

Rawat described Jeena as a "noble, humble and hardworking individual" but stated he would be "ashamed" if evidence emerged of OMR sheet tampering in gram sevak recruitment. He vigorously defended his government's record, noting they had created recruitment boards and strengthened hiring processes, resulting in over 42,000 government appointments during his three-year tenure.

The former CM challenged anyone with evidence of his personal involvement to approach investigative agencies directly. "If there has been any lapse on my part, I consider myself deserving of punishment, and the law should punish me," he stated, while seeking forgiveness from Uttarakhand's citizens if any decision harmed youth opportunities.

Partisan reactions emerge

Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal immediately questioned the timing, noting the examination in question dates to 2016 and asking why the Centre waited 11 years to act. He emphasized that Rawat's government had canceled the exam upon discovering irregularities and ordered an investigation.

BJP State president Mahendra Bhatt countered that the UKSSSC case had been under investigation for years and urged Congress cooperation with the ED. He suggested Rawat should "retire from politics" entirely rather than just resign from posts, calling the move a sympathy play.

The developments mark another chapter in Uttarakhand's contentious political landscape, where recruitment scandals have repeatedly surfaced across administrations. All eyes now turn to whether Congress leadership will accept Rawat's offer to step aside.