'Hypocrisy': After Rahul Gandhi's Lateral Entry Tirade, BJP's Comeback Takes A Leaf Out Of History Book

The BJP has called out Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his criticism of the Modi government’s lateral entry recruitment system in bureaucracy, accusing him of spreading lies.

On Saturday, Gandhi alleged that the reservation for SC, ST, and OBC categories are being “openly snatched away” through lateral entry into key positions across central government ministries.

“Narendra Modi is attacking the Constitution by recruiting public servants through ‘Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’ instead of Union Public Service Commission,” the Congress leader stated in a post on X.

‘INC Hypocrisy’: Ashwini Vaishnaw

In response, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw accused Congress of hypocrisy, pointing out that the concept of lateral entry was developed under the Congress-led UPA government.

“INC hypocrisy is evident on lateral entry matter. It was the UPA government which developed the concept of lateral entry. The second Admin Reforms Commission (ARC) was established in 2005 under UPA government. Shri Veerappa Moily chaired it,” he said in an X post on Saturday.

Vaishnaw asserted that the BJP-led NDA government has created a “transparent method” to implement this process.

“Recruitment will be done through UPSC in a transparent and fair manner. This reform will improve governance,” the Union minister emphasised.

Current System Follows Established Guidelines: Amit Malviya

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Amit Malviya responded to Gandhi’s post by highlighting that the Congress previously recruited lateral entrants “without any process,” in contrast to the current system that follows established guidelines.

“ad-hocism, the government of India has now ensured that lateral entries are made on the basis of established guidelines so that there is no impact on the quota and reservation system,” he asserted.

Malviya further cited official memorandums from 2016, 2019, and 2020, which mandate adherence to reservation policies and roster maintenance for SC, ST, OBC, and persons with disabilities. He also referenced a 2020 Union Home Ministry memorandum emphasising strict compliance with these reservation guidelines for lateral entries.

UPSC Notification

On Saturday, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) issued an advertisement inviting applications from “talented and motivated Indian nationals” for lateral recruitment to the positions of Joint Secretary, Director, and Deputy Secretary across 24 Union government ministries.

The notification indicates that the government seeks to fill 45 domain expert roles, including 10 positions at the rank of Joint Secretary and the remaining roles as Directors or Deputy Secretaries. These positions are available in various ministries, such as Finance, Electronics, Agriculture, Environment, and Renewable Energy.