"it appears...he (Chairman) had to be nudged out given controversy UPSC is involved...": Congress' Jairam Ramesh

Amidst trainee officer Puja Khedkar row, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Chairman has resigned. Jairam Ramesh, General Secretary, Indian National Congress (INC), was quick to point out that since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014, constitutional bodies have been undermined.

"The sanctity, character, autonomy, and professionalism of all Constitutional bodies have been badly damaged since 2014. But at times even the self-anointed non-biological PM is forced to say enough is enough. Mr Modi brought in one of his favourite 'academics' from Gujarat as a UPSC member in 2017 and made him Chairman in 2023 with a six-year term. But this so-called distinguished gentleman has now resigned five years before the expiry of his term," Jairam Ramesh wrote in a post on X.

Naturally, Ramesh questioned the timing of the resignation, suggesting that he might have been pushed to resign due to the scandal that has caught the public attention."Whatever the reasons that may be given, it appears clear that he had to be nudged out given the current controversy in which the UPSC is involved. Many more such characters have populated the system. Why is the Chairman of the NTA untouched so far, for example?" he added.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) is yet to accept the resignation, as per sources ANI reached out to. Soni's term was originally set to conclude in 2029.

Not just Jairam Ramesh, many are questioning the timing of the resignation.