"Harish Rawat was aware of activities happening in his inner circle": BJP MP Sehrawat on former CM's exit from Congress after ED raids on his aide

Speaking to ANI, Sehrawat said,"Harish Rawat himself acknowledged that cash, gold coins, and various high-value items, which one would not expect to find there, were recovered from the home of his OSD. His decision to resign is entirely justified, as he is aware that individuals in his close circle during his tenure may have been involved in such activities; he took this step to prevent damage to the Congress party's image."

Targeting the opposition party over governance issues, the BJP leader added, "However, we are all well aware of the state of affairs in Congress-ruled states across India, such as Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka."

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Saturday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Enforcement Directorate (ED) searches at the premises of his former Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Chandan Singh Jeena, alleging that a "rattled" ruling party is using probe agencies ahead of elections.

Speaking to ANI, he questioned the timing of the ED's action, alleging that it was an orchestrated move to disrupt the Congress party's momentum.

"With elections approaching, a rattled BJP is looking for excuses; that is why they have resorted to this action. They have suddenly remembered an issue after ten or ten-and-a-half years. This is happening because the Congress party is successfully building a narrative against corruption, and this action has been orchestrated to counter that momentum," Rawat said.

Defending his former aide, Rawat questioned the credibility and necessity of the operation, asserting that Jeena had an unblemished reputation.

"What kind of damning evidence did they find that required the ED to go to such lengths and undertake all this trouble? Chandan Singh Jeena is an extremely decent, humble, and hardworking individual," Rawat added.

Meanwhile, the 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, and recovered Rs 32 lakh in unaccounted cash, gold and luxury watches from the residence of Chandan Singh Jeena, presently serving as Personal Assistant to former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Singh Rawat.

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.

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Congress leader Harish Rawat stepped down from two Congress posts on Friday after a large amount of cash, jewellery and other valuables were recovered by the Enforcement Directorate. (ANI)