Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi once again raised 'lateral entry' issue, 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 seeking to snatch reservations from 'bahujans'.
"Lateral entry is an attack on Dalits, OBCs and adivasis," Gandhi said on X.
"The BJP's distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch reservations from bahujans," he added.
Earlier, the Congress targeted the government after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Saturday issued a notification for recruiting 45 joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries through lateral entry -- referred to 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 established by it in 2005.
Ashwini Vaishnaw hits back at Gandhi
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw hit back at Gandhi, saying the Congress' criticism of the lateral entry system in senior bureaucracy shows its "hypocrisy". The BJP-led NDA government has created a transparent method to implement the concept developed by the UPA dispensation.
Gandhi, in a post in Hindi on X on Sunday, had termed the government's move of recruiting public servants through lateral entry an "anti-national step", alleging that the reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs is being "openly snatched away" by such an action.
"Reservation of SC, ST and OBC classes is being openly snatched away by recruiting through lateral entry on important posts in various ministries of the central government," Gandhi had said.
The I.N.D.I.A bloc will strongly oppose this "anti-national step" that hurts both the administrative structure and social justice, Gandhi had said.
"Privatisation of the IAS is Modi's guarantee for ending reservation," he had said.
Cong, BJP spar over lateral entry issue
The opposition parties on Sunday slammed the move to hire public servants through lateral entry, claiming it will snatch reservations from SCs, STs and OBCs, but the BJP hit back stating the NDA government was bringing transparency to this mode of recruitment started by the Congress-led UPA.
The Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also alleged that it was a "conspiracy" by the BJP to appoint its ideological allies to high posts through the back door.
"Privatisation of the IAS is Modi's assurance for ending reservation," Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged, adding the INDIA bloc will strongly oppose this "anti-national step". Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav warned of an agitation on the issue from October 2.
Countering the charge, the BJP cited office memorandums, including the one issued by the Union Home Ministry in 2020, that emphasised the need for strict adherence to the reservation guidelines in lateral entries, and asked Gandhi to "stop lying".
(With PTI inputs)
