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Amid the ongoing political tussle over lateral entry in government jobs, the Narendra Modi government at the Centre on Monday hit out at Rahul Gandhi over his claim.
Criticising Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal reminded that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was made Finance Secretary through the lateral entry route in 1976.
Meghwal alleged that Gandhi was trying to mislead people and tarnish the image of institutions like UPSC. He said that Dr. Manmohan Singh was also a part of lateral entry.
In a post on Twitter on Monday, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government’s move to recruit government employees through lateral entry was an attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis. The opposition leader also accused the BJP of trying to snatch away reservation from ‘Bahujans’.
“Rahul Gandhi alleges that RSS people are recruited through lateral entry. We want to say that Dr Manmohan Singh is also an example of lateral entry. How did you appoint him finance secretary in 1976? Your Planning Commission deputy chairman was also on lateral entry. You will find hundreds of such examples…you started lateral entry,” ANI quoted Meghwal as saying.
While talking to PTI, the Law Minister said that whatever appointments or recruitments or selections are to be done, UPSC will do it. He said, “Where is the issue of BJP, RSS in this? Baseless allegations are being made.”
Video | Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said this on the allegations made by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on the government on the issue of lateral entry. pic.twitter.com/w5CLpeBgru
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 19, 2024
Further, the Law Minister said that the then Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia had joined the service through the lateral entry route.
Meanwhile, Chirag Paswan, president of BJP ally Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), has expressed concern over making any appointment to government posts without providing reservation.
Pawan said, “There should be provision for reservation in any government appointment. There is no doubt about it.”
What did Shashi Tharoor say on lateral entry?
In a post on X, Thiruvananthapuram MP and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, “My stand on lateral entry is that it is an essential way for the government to acquire expertise, which it otherwise lacks, in specific areas of specialisation for which there are no qualified persons already in government service. In the short term, this is inevitable. In the long term, what is necessary is that government officials recruited under existing rules, including applicable reservations, be trained in the necessary specialisations required by the government.”
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