Daijiworld Media Network - Dehradun
Dehradun, Sep 12: Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat has resigned from his posts in the Congress, saying he does not want anything associated with him to weaken the party's fight against corruption ahead of the state Assembly elections.
In a Facebook post, Rawat referred to reports that a large amount of cash and jewellery had been seized from Jina, his former officer on special duty (OSD) and aide, in Dehradun. He said the facts surrounding the seizure would become clear in due course, while describing Jina as a "gentle" and hardworking person.
Rawat said Jina had served as his OSD and handled important responsibilities during his tenure in government as well as within the party.
He said that if Jina was found to have tampered with OMR sheets during the recruitment of village development officers, and evidence established his involvement, he would be "ashamed" of such an act. However, Rawat said he did not believe the allegations against his former aide.
Describing the upcoming Uttarakhand elections as a high-stakes contest, Rawat recalled that he had often joked that elections would be held when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) knocked on his door.
"This time, instead of my house, an attempt has been made to create a narrative by knocking on the house of one of my associates," he said.
Rawat said the Congress and its workers were fighting against corruption and referred to party leader Rahul Gandhi's campaign against corruption in the education system.
"At such a time, if any action of Harish Rawat weakens the party's struggle, I would not want that," he said.
Rawat said he was not holding any government post but was a member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee executive and a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee. He said he would "very humbly" step down from both positions.
On questions surrounding the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission, Rawat defended the steps taken by his government to strengthen recruitment mechanisms. He said more than 42,000 government posts were filled during his three-year tenure.
He said his government had created recruitment boards for sectors including medical and education services and had pushed the Public Service Commission to conduct examinations on time.
Rawat acknowledged that there could have been "errors of judgement" during the process and apologised to the people of Uttarakhand if any such mistakes had affected the future of the state's youth.
He also addressed questions over the appointment of a former chairman of the Subordinate Service Selection Commission, saying the appointment had been based on the person's service record. Rawat said he removed the chairman or sought his resignation after receiving complaints.
He further said former chief minister Major General BC Khanduri had advised him on the appointment and had met him twice regarding the matter.
Rawat said irregularities in government recruitment and examinations amounted to "playing with the future" of the next generation. He said he should be held accountable if he had knowingly or unknowingly contributed to any such wrongdoing.
He appealed to anyone possessing evidence of his involvement in interference in recruitment matters to submit it to the CBI, Enforcement Directorate or state police.
Rawat said people entrusted with public responsibilities must avoid such temptations and reiterated that if he had made any such mistake, he considered himself deserving of punishment and that the law should take its course.