Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has again raised the issue of “lateral entry”, saying it was an attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis. In a post on X on Monday, Gandhi accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to snatch reservations from “Bahujans”.
“Lateral entry is an attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis,” Gandhi said in X.
“The BJP’s distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch away reservations from Bahujans,” he added.
Earlier, the Congress had attacked the government after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Saturday issued a notification to recruit 45 joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries through lateral entry, known as the appointment of specialists (including those from the private sector) in government departments.
Meanwhile, government sources said the concept of lateral entry was first introduced under the Congress-led UPA regime and was strongly endorsed by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission set up by it in 2005.
Ashwini Vaishnaw counterattacks Gandhi
Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw hit back at Gandhi saying that the Congress’s criticism of the lateral entry system in the top bureaucracy shows its “hypocrisy”. The BJP-led NDA government has created a transparent method to implement the concept developed by the UPA.
Gandhi, in a Hindi post on X on Sunday, had termed the government’s decision to recruit civil servants through lateral entry as an “anti-national step”, alleging that reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs is being “openly snatched away” by such a move.
“The reservation of SC, ST and OBC classes is being openly snatched away by recruiting through lateral entry to important posts in various central government ministries,” Gandhi had said.
The Indian bloc will firmly oppose this “anti-national step” which is damaging both the administrative structure and social justice, Gandhi had said.
“Privatisation of IAS is Modi’s guarantee to end reservations,” he said.
Congress and BJP clash over lateral entry issue
Opposition parties on Sunday criticised the move to recruit civil servants through lateral entry, alleging that it would snatch away reservations of SCs, STs and OBCs, but the BJP hit back saying the NDA government was bringing transparency to this mode of recruitment initiated by the Congress-led UPA.
The Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also claimed that it was a “conspiracy” by the BJP to appoint its ideological allies in high positions through the back door.
“The privatisation of IAS is Modi’s assurance that reservations will be ended,” said opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, adding that the Indian bloc would strongly oppose this “anti-national move”. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav warned of an agitation over the issue from October 2.
Countering the allegation, the BJP cited office memos, including one issued by the Union Home Ministry in 2020, which emphasised the need for strict adherence to reservation guidelines at side entrances and asked Gandhi to “stop lying”.
(With PTI inputs)
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