Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], September 12 (ANI): BJP Uttarakhand state president Mahendra Bhatt has asked Congress leaders not to politicise the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at the premises of Chandan Singh Jeena, personal assistant to former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Congress leader Harish Rawat, saying the agency should be allowed to complete its investigation and establish the facts.
“Congress members should not politicise this issue; instead, they should present the facts to the ED so that the matter does not become a mere political issue and justice can be served to the students,” he said.
Bhatt was reacting to the ED raids in connection with the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC) matter. He said the case had been under investigation for a long time and urged everyone connected with it to cooperate with the central agency.
“The UKSSSC matter has been undergoing an investigation process for a long time. The ED has conducted raids today, and I would say it is best to fully cooperate with the ED,” Bhatt said.
He said the investigation should be allowed to establish the facts clearly and expressed hope that the truth would emerge through the process.
“We expect the truth to be revealed, for the facts to be laid bare clearly,” the BJP state president said.
The BJP leader also reacted to media claims of Rawat's resignation from all party posts following the ED action involving his aide.
Bhatt described Rawat as a senior Congress leader but questioned his decision to repeatedly make statements on social media. He alleged that Rawat uses such posts to generate sympathy.
“Harish Rawat is a very senior leader of the Congress. He often makes such posts on social media to garner sympathy,” Bhatt said.
Taking a sharper dig at the former chief minister, Bhatt said Rawat had reached an age when, according to him, he should retire from active politics. He described this as the general sentiment surrounding Rawat.
“But Harish Rawat has reached an age where he really ought to retire from politics; that is the general sentiment,” Bhatt said.
He also accused Rawat of inconsistency in his political statements and actions.
“Everyone knows that Harish Rawat says one thing and does another,” Bhatt said.
However, Rawat has denied reports of the media claiming that he has resigned from the Congress party.
Rejecting the reports, Rawat said on X, “Congress party membership is in my blood and bones. Whatever Harish Rawat is today has been built by the Congress, and it will go with me even to heaven.”
Rawat clarified that he had only expressed his willingness to resign from the organisational posts he currently holds — as a member of the Pradesh Congress Committee and the AICC Working Committee — if the “hypocritical drama” surrounding the ED action in Dehradun affects the Congress narrative of fighting corruption.
"Yes, if the ED's hypocritical circus that happened in Dehradun yesterday or the day before has any impact on the narrative of fighting against corruption in the Congress Party, then the positions I hold in the party—member of the state executive and member of the AICC working committee—I would want to resign from those positions," he added.
He urged media persons to read his post in its entirety and correct their reports accordingly. (ANI)
BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt asks Congress not to politicise ED raids on Harish Rawat’s aide
