Citizens' Accountability LedgerWho owned the mess? 25 years, every party, on the record

The short list

The ones who
answered.

This ledger runs on one test: was anyone made to answer? Almost always the answer is no, and the pages here say so at length. This page is the other side of that ledger — every office-holder who actually left over something on this file, with the case, the date and the party. It is short. That is the point of it.

8Union ministers, in 25 years
1of them since May 2014
12departures on file in total, all levels

Leaving office is not a confession, and several people on this page were later cleared. It is recorded here because it is the one outcome this ledger can measure: someone stopped holding the file. Where a court has since decided the matter, the case page says so.

Union ministers 8

Ministers in the Union government who left office over a case on this file.

  1. George Fernandes Mar 2001

    Union Defence Minister

    Samata Party NDA (BJP-led) · Vajpayee government

    Operation West End. Cash on camera, a party president convicted 13 Mar 2001 (tapes aired) · National security

  2. K. Natwar Singh Nov 2005

    Union External Affairs Minister

    Indian National Congress UPA (Congress-led) · Manmohan Singh government

    Oil-for-food. A foreign minister named, and gone in a month Volcker report, Nov 2005 · Democratic institutions

  3. Shivraj Patil Nov 2008

    Union Home Minister

    Indian National Congress UPA (Congress-led) · Manmohan Singh government

    26/11. A city under siege, and the one minister who went 26 to 29 Nov 2008 · National security

  4. A. Raja Nov 2010

    Union Telecom Minister

    DMK UPA (Congress-led) · Manmohan Singh government

    2G spectrum. A ₹1.76 lakh crore estimate, and not one conviction Allocations 2008; CAG report Nov 2010 · Public money

  5. Shashi Tharoor Apr 2010

    Union Minister of State for External Affairs

    Indian National Congress UPA (Congress-led) · Manmohan Singh government

    IPL Kochi. A minister, a friend's equity, and a resignation 18 Apr 2010 · Crony capital (alleged)

  6. Dayanidhi Maran Jul 2011

    Union Textiles Minister

    DMK UPA (Congress-led) · Manmohan Singh government

    Aircel-Maxis. A telecom minister, a sale, and a discharge Resigned Jul 2011; discharged 2017 · Crony capital (alleged)

  7. Pawan Kumar Bansal May 2013

    Union Railway Minister

    Indian National Congress UPA (Congress-led) · Manmohan Singh government

    Railgate. A bribe for a seat on the Railway Board May 2013 · Public money

  8. M.J. Akbar Oct 2018

    Union Minister of State for External Affairs

    BJP NDA (BJP-led) · Modi government

    A minister resigns, sues his accuser, and loses 17 Oct 2018 · Rights and dissent

State ministers and chief ministers 3

State office-holders who left over a case on this file. A state resignation is not a Union one, and the front-page counter keeps them apart.

  1. Ashok Chavan Nov 2010

    Maharashtra Chief Minister

    Indian National Congress

    Adarsh. Flats raised for war widows, taken by the people in office Nov 2010; commission report Apr 2013 · Public money

  2. Babu Singh Kushwaha 2011

    UP Family Welfare Minister

    BSP

    NRHM Uttar Pradesh. Health money gone, and the witnesses dead 2005 to 2011; CBI probe ordered Nov 2011 · Public money

  3. N. Biren Singh Feb 2025

    Manipur Chief Minister

    BJP

    Manipur. A state on fire, and months of silence 03 May 2023 onward · Public safety

Officials 1

Career officials rather than elected politicians. No party is recorded for them, because recording one would be wrong.

  1. Two statisticians Jan 2019

    National Statistical Commission members

    Career official · no party

    The jobs promise, and the survey they sat on Promise 2013. Survey withheld Jan 2019. · Data denial

Party is recorded per person, at the time they left. It is deliberately not the same field as the government of the day: a Union minister often belongs to an ally rather than to the party leading the coalition, and printing the coalition's party beside their name would be false.