Ex-Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat quits Congress posts after cash, gold recovered from aide

Mangalore Today News Network

Uttarakhand, Sep 12, 2026: Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Friday announced to step down from key Congress posts after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered unaccounted cash, gold and luxury watches after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) during raid at his personal assistant, Chandan Singh Jeena’s residence, in connection with a money laundering case.

Rawat said he would resign as a member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee executive and as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee at the national level.

In a long post on X, Rawat said that he did not want any action or conduct on his part to weaken the Congress’ ongoing fight against corruption. He said he had taken the decision after remembering his “Isht Devta".

“I have just remembered my revered deity and taken a major decision. I am not holding any government position from which I could resign. However, I am a member of the Executive Committee of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee and a permanent invitee member of the Congress Working Committee at the national level. I would like to step down from both these positions very humbly, because there should be no weakness in the party’s struggle because of me," he said.

Rawat said Jeena had served as his Officer on Special Duty (OSD) and handled important responsibilities during his tenure as chief minister from 2014 to 2017. He described Jeena as a “very decent, humble and hardworking person" but said that if allegations against him were proved, he would be ashamed of the alleged wrongdoing.

“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. 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," he said.

Rawat rejected allegations that he was involved in any wrongdoing and said the facts of the matter would become clear in due course. He also said he did not believe allegations that Jeena had tampered with OMR sheets during the recruitment examination.

“If I have, knowingly or unknowingly, committed any act that has adversely affected the future of the youth of our state, I consider myself deserving of punishment," Rawat said, while apologising to the people of Uttarakhand for any possible lapse.

He also challenged anyone with evidence of his involvement in recruitment or appointment-related irregularities to submit it to the CBI, ED or state police.

The former chief minister also alleged that the latest action was an attempt to create a narrative against him and the Congress ahead of the Uttarakhand elections. He said the stakes in the upcoming polls were high and maintained that Congress workers remained united in their fight against corruption.

“There are high stakes in Uttarakhand’s elections. Whenever anyone asked me when the elections would be held, I would jokingly tell them that, well, the elections will happen when the CBI comes knocking at my door. If they haven’t come yet, it means the elections will only be held next year in March-April. 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.

ED on Friday said it conducted searches at multiple locations in Dehradun in connection with alleged large-scale irregularities in the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC) Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari (VPDO) Examination, 2016, recovering Rs 32 lakh in unaccounted cash, gold and luxury watches from the residence of Chandan Singh Jeena

The searches were carried out on September 10 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, the ED said in a press release issued on Friday.

According to the agency, searches were conducted at the residential premises of the then Chairman and Secretary of UKSSSC, the then Exam Controller, the owner of the private computer agency engaged for OMR processing, and associated middlemen allegedly linked to the conspiracy.

The residence of Chandan Singh Jeena was also searched. Jeena had earlier served as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Harish Rawat during his tenure as Chief Minister from 2014 to 2017, the ED said.