Congress questions removal of Bhupender Yadav’s aides, links it to ‘Chanda Do Dhandha Lo’ charge
New Delhi The Congress on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) sought to link the removal of key aides of Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to its
New Delhi The Congress on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) sought to link the removal of key aides of Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to its long-standing allegations over political funding, asking whether the “Pradhan Mantri Chanda Do Dhandha Lo” scheme had “gone awry”. The remarks came after the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change relieved the Minister’s private secretary and three additional private secretaries of their duties through separate orders dated July 3.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh described the development as “shocking”, saying the appointments themselves reflected the functioning of the Modi government. “It is no secret how such appointments are made in the first place during the Modi regime. Can there be so much smoke without any fire? Could this be an instance of the Pradhan Mantri Chanda Do Dhandha Lo scheme having gone awry,” he said in a post on X.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said the wholesale replacement of a Union Minister’s staff was “not an ordinary matter” and demanded that the government explain the circumstances behind the move. “The public has the right to know the truth about any irregularities,” she said. According to the Ministry’s orders, private secretary Amar Singh was removed on “administrative grounds”, while the appointments of additional private secretaries Ayush Saran and Shailesh Kumar Singh were terminated or curtailed.
Shailesh Kumar Singh has been repatriated to his parent cadre in the Department of Personnel and Training.
The BriefWire