Congress and several other opposition parties on Tuesday claimed that due to opposition’s protest, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi backtracked on the issue of ‘lateral entry’ and decided to withdraw the related advertisement. He also claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to end reservation. Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh wrote a letter to Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Chairman Preeti Sudan asking her to cancel the advertisement “so that the weaker sections can get their due representation in government services.”
Congress foiled BJP’s plans – Kharge
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge posted on social media platform ‘X’, “Samvidhan Jayate. Congress party’s fight for social justice of our Dalit, tribal, backward and weaker sections has foiled 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. He claimed, “The government has taken a step back due to the campaign of Rahul Gandhi, Congress and the constituent parties of ‘India’ alliance, but as long as BJP-RSS is in power, it will keep adopting new tactics to snatch away reservation. We all have to be careful.”
Will expose conspiracies like lateral entry – Rahul Gandhi
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that he will protect the constitution and reservation system at all costs and will foil the conspiracies of BJP like ‘lateral entry’ at all costs. Rahul Gandhi posted on ‘X’, “We will protect the constitution and reservation system at all costs. We will foil the conspiracies of BJP like ‘lateral entry’ at all costs.” He said, “I am saying once again – by breaking the 50 percent reservation limit, we will ensure social justice on the basis of caste count. Jai Hind.”
BJP’s conspiracies are not succeeding now – Akhilesh
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav said in a post on ‘X’, ”The conspiracy of appointments by rejecting reservation through the back door of lateral entry in UPSC has finally succumbed to the unity of PDA. The government has now had to withdraw this decision as well.” He said that BJP’s conspiracies are not succeeding now, this is a big victory of the awakening and consciousness that has come in PDA.
What is lateral entry?
‘Lateral entry’ is a direct recruitment process through which experts from various fields are appointed for a certain period of time in the ministries and departments of the central government. These recruitments are usually done on the posts of joint secretary, director and deputy secretary. The central government had announced the appointment of 45 experts on key posts like joint secretary, director and deputy secretary in various central ministries through ‘lateral entry’. Usually, such posts are filled by officers from the All India Services—Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) and other ‘Group A’ services.
