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Oppn claims credit as Centre rolls back ad for lateral entry
In a letter to UPSC chairman Preeti Sudan, Union minister Jitendra Singh asked to cancel an advertisement for the lateral entry of 45 bureaucrats
The Union government’s decision to roll back a controversial lateral entry advertisement sparked a political war-of-words on Tuesday with the Opposition claiming credit for protecting reservations and the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) saying it had followed the Constitution.
In a letter to Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) chairman Preeti Sudan, Union minister Jitendra Singh asked to cancel an advertisement for the lateral entry of 45 bureaucrats, suggesting a review keeping in mind reservation norms to ensure social equity.
Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw defended the decision, saying it was a United Progressive Alliance (UPA) era policy in which the Narendra Modi government had injected transparency.
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“Today, PM Modi has reflected the commitment towards Babasaheb’s Constitution through a very important decision. A decision has been taken to implement principles of reservation in the very transparent method of lateral entry in UPSC. PM Modi has always shown his commitment towards social justice,” he said.
But Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi attacked the government.
”We will protect the Constitution and the reservation system at all costs,” he said. “The Congress will foil conspiracies like BJP’s lateral entry at any cost,” he added, further saying that by “breaking” the 50% reservation limit, the party will “ensure social justice on the basis of caste count.”
The row began after UPSC last Saturday advertised 45 posts -- 10 of joint secretaries and 35 of directors/deputy secretaries -- to be filled through the lateral entry mode on a contract basis for a three-year term.
Bureaucrats are usually recruited through the civil services exam process but lateral entrants, typically experts in a particular field, are inducted directly for a limited term. No quota is currently applicable to these appointments.
The Congress hit out at the government.
“Long live the Constitution! The Congress Party’s fight for social justice for our Dalits, tribals, backward and weaker sections has foiled the BJP’s plans to snatch away reservation. Modi government’s letter on lateral entry shows that only the power of the Constitution can defeat the arrogance of dictatorial power,” Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said on X.
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav echoed him.“The conspiracy of making appointments through the back door of lateral entry in UPSC by rejecting reservation has finally succumbed to the unity of PDA. The government has now had to withdraw this decision as well.” He added, “Lateral entry has exposed the anti-reservation face of BJP.” He was referring to the SP’s electoral formulation of backwards, Dalits and Adivasis.
Yadav also declared his commitment to prevent any similar moves in the future. “We will not allow any such move to succeed in future and will strongly and decisively oppose it,” he said.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin called it a “victory of social justice” but urged continued vigilance. “The Union BJP Govt will try to undermine reservation through various forms…The arbitrary 50% ceiling on reservation must be broken, and a nationwide caste census is essential to protect the rights of the backward and oppressed.”
The Rashtriya Janata Dal also attacked the government. “It happened on the order of the PM, then on whose orders was it brought? Whom are they trying to fool?” RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said. UNCLEAR QUOTE? WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
“Nobody is above the Constitution,” he said.
Vaishnaw hit back at the Opposition. He explained that UPSC’s transparent method for lateral entry will now incorporate reservation principles.
“UPSC adopted a very transparent method for lateral entry. Now we have decided to apply the principle of reservation in that too. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always shown his commitment towards social justice,” Vaishnaw said.
“We gave constitutional status to the OBC commission which was earlier an ordinary body. Be it NEET, medical admission, Sainik Vidyalaya or Navodaya Vidyalaya, we have implemented the principle of reservation everywhere,” he said.
Vaishnaw attacked the previous Congress-led UPA government for not following reservations in lateral entry before 2014.”Finance secretaries were recruited through lateral entry and the principle of reservation was not kept in mind,” he said.
Allies of the BJP such as the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), which had opposed the lateral entry advertisement, hailed the move.
“I thank my Prime Minister for seeking cancellation of lateral entry, on behalf of my Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). This government has set a precedent. Hopefully, regimes of the future will show a similar sensitivity to public sentiments,” Union minister Chirag Paswan said.
