Congress questions timing of raids after Harish Rawat quits party posts following ED action on aide

New Delhi: Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s decision to step down from two Congress posts following Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on his aide, has drawn a sharp reaction from Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat, who questioned the timing and alleged that the central agency was being used as a tool for political revenge.

Speaking to IANS, Bhagat said Rawat’s decision reflected the Congress leader’s political ethos and his commitment to ensuring that his actions did not weaken the party’s ongoing political fight.

“Certainly, I believe this reflects the core values of the Congress party and Harish Rawat ji’s own political ethos. He has willingly tendered his resignation from multiple posts in the past. The law will take its own course, that much is certain,” Bhagat said.

However, he questioned the timing of the ED action and alleged that the agency’s functioning had repeatedly come under suspicion.

“However, the timing chosen by the BJP and the modus operandi of the Enforcement Directorate have consistently remained under suspicion. They work with a spirit of revenge and work as a tool for them. So, their activities are always under suspicion,” the Congress MP said.

The remarks came a day after Rawat resigned as a member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee and as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee at the national level.

Rawat’s decision followed ED raids on his personal assistant, Chandan Singh Jeena, in a money laundering investigation linked to alleged irregularities in a 2016 state recruitment examination.

The ED said in a statement on Friday evening that it had conducted searches at Jeena’s premises on Thursday and seized cash worth Rs 32 lakh along with a dozen luxury wristwatches.

He further reacted to the BJP criticising Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi after the Karnataka Congress unit announced a list of newly nominated district presidents consisting entirely of men and said, “Rahul ji has spoken about their identity, their importance, and the fact that they have an identity of their own. And I believe that when he spoke about the nearly half of our population, he was talking about self-reliance, confidence, self-respect and self-assurance.”

“He made these remarks in that context. As far as Karnataka is concerned, you must have seen that whether it is about the Cabinet or many other such things, today you cannot say that it is only about responsibilities. Many times, when we bring things forward organisationally, if we find a better candidate, we give them the responsibility. We do not indulge in pick and choose. Despite this, we can say that when it comes to reservation for women or bringing women forward, the Congress took the initiative first,” he told IANS.

Bhagat also reacted to a controversy surrounding West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari eating fish at Kalighat Temple. He said dietary choices were not among the country’s most pressing concerns.

“I believe that what someone chooses to wear or eat is not an issue confronting the country today. There are far more pressing issues–unemployment and inflation,” he said.

IANS