Former minister and MLA Dr Harak Singh Rawat, presently a member of the Congress party, has once again become the centre of a major controversy. He was already entangled in a “wife controversy” (whether he has more than one) leading to heightened public scrutiny following an investigation into a land deal. Questions were being raised about what may not strictly be in the realm of ‘private’ affairs. Now, he is facing revival of allegations made by an Assam resident, Indrani Devri (popularly known as Jenny), regarding sexual assault. It may be recalled that a major political storm had originally erupted in 2003 during the ND Tiwari-led Congress government, when Jenny (then a minor) accused Rawat of sexual assault. Following public outrage, Rawat resigned from his cabinet position. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case and ordered a DNA paternity test, which ultimately did not match Rawat, resulting in a judicial clean chit for him in 2004.
Jenny is now demanding a fresh CBI probe and a new DNA test for her 23-year-old son. She alleges that the original 2003 investigation was heavily compromised by language barriers; that she was forced to sign blank documents, and that blood samples were never properly drawn from her child at the time. Rawat has denied the accusations, calling the sudden resurgence of a two-decade-old closed case a politically motivated conspiracy orchestrated by opposition parties to derail his election campaign. There has been a heated exchange of words between him and Chief Minister Dhami on the subject. In a state where the Ankita Bhandari murder has become a major political issue, it is being asked why Jenny’s allegations are not being investigated. In response to Jenny’s demand, Rawat has offered to undertake a DNA test. As such, there should be no time wasted in conducting the test for the sake of natural justice.
Rawat is widely known for his tumultuous and highly opportunistic shifts across party lines, drawing criticism for political instability. Over his career, he has repeatedly swung between the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Notably, in 2016, he led a major rebellion against the Harish Rawat-led Congress government to join the BJP, only to be expelled by the BJP in January 2022 for anti-party activities before crossing back over to the Congress. The Congress now faces a serious dilemma about how to deal with the issue and keep it from impacting its position on justice for women. In fact, there will many within the party who would be happy to have Rawat removed from the critical post of Chairman of the Election Management Committee. Considering the numerous controversies that have emerged, it would certainly be a wise decision, otherwise the party may be seen as supporting his alleged shenanigans. The situation also reflects the state of Uttarakhand’s present political culture, with politicians continuing to enjoy support despite being embroiled in such major controversies.
