The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, accusing him of hypocrisy over his remarks on the UPSC lateral entry system. The BJP’s tirade came after Gandhi alleged that the Narendra Modi-led government’s move to recruit public servants through lateral entry would undermine the reservation system for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
To counter Gandhi’s claims, the BJP pointed out that the UPA government, led by Manmohan Singh, had initiated the concept of lateral entry in 2005. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, addressing the matter on social media platform X, highlighted that the second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), established under the UPA government and chaired by Veerappa Moily, had recommended the recruitment of experts through lateral entry to fill specialized roles.
Vaishnaw further emphasized that the current NDA government has implemented a transparent and fair method for lateral entry recruitment through the UPSC, ensuring compliance with reservation policies. This method, according to him, will contribute to improving governance.
Echoing Vaishnaw’s stance, Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s IT department, dismissed Gandhi’s allegations, stating that the Congress-led UPA had implemented lateral recruitments without any defined process during their tenure. He further outlined the legal provisions and reservation rules that apply to the current UPSC lateral entry recruitment system, emphasizing that the government has ensured adherence to established guidelines to avoid any impact on quotas and reservations.
Malviya also addressed a previous instance in 2018 where similar concerns were raised, highlighting that several prominent figures like Dr. Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia, who were lateral entrants themselves, had faced questions about the system. This, according to the BJP leader, suggests that the Congress’s current stance is inconsistent and lacks a genuine understanding of the issue.
