Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has criticized the decision to soon appoint 45 experts through ‘lateral entry’ on key posts of Joint Secretaries, Directors and Deputy Secretaries in various ministries of the Centre. Condemning this, Rahul said that by recruiting on important posts through lateral entry, reservation of SC, ST and OBC category is being openly snatched away.
In a post on the social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi described this decision as a blow to both the administrative structure and social justice and said that India will strongly oppose this anti-national step. Earlier, SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati also called it an arbitrary move of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and termed it a “conspiracy and violation of the Constitution.
Rahul Gandhi wrote, ‘Narendra Modi is attacking the Constitution by recruiting public servants through ‘Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’ instead of Union Public Service Commission. By recruiting through lateral entry on important posts in various ministries of the central government, reservation of SC, ST and OBC class is being openly snatched away. I have always said that the deprived are not represented in all the top posts of the country including the top bureaucracy, instead of improving it, they are being further distanced from top posts through lateral entry. This is a robbery of the rights of talented youth preparing for UPSC and an attack on the concept of social justice including reservation for the deprived.’
Rahul Gandhi further wrote, ‘SEBI is a prime example of what representatives of a few corporates will do by sitting on decisive government posts, where for the first time a person coming from the private sector has been made the chairperson. India will strongly oppose this anti-national step which hurts both the administrative structure and social justice. Privatisation of IAS is Modi’s guarantee to end reservation.’
Lalu Prasad Yadav also opposed lateral recruitment and wrote, ‘Violating Baba Saheb’s constitution and reservation, on the advice of Narendra Modi and his allies, now the Union Public Service Commission has issued an advertisement for direct recruitment from the private sector for appointment at the level of Joint Secretary, Deputy Secretary and Director instead of civil service personnel. No government employee can apply in this. There is no reservation provided by the Constitution in this.’
He further wrote, ‘This is the “Nagpuria model” of directly appointing BJP’s private army working in corporate sector, i.e. the khaki pant people, to high positions in important ministries of the Government of India. Under the Sanghi model, Dalits, backward and tribals will not get any benefit of reservation in this appointment process. The NDA people are robbing the rights of the deprived.’
Meanwhile, SP chief and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has also warned of protests against this decision from October 2. Akhilesh wrote on the social media platform ‘X’, ‘The time has come to launch a nationwide movement against the conspiracy of the BJP to appoint its ideological allies to high government posts in UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) through the back door.’
He claimed that this method will close the way for today’s officers as well as the youth to reach higher positions in the present and future. The SP chief said that the BJP is aware that the ‘PDA’ of the whole country has woken up against its ploy to abolish the Constitution, so it wants to deny reservation by making direct recruitment to such posts under another pretext.
BSP chief and former Chief Minister Mayawati also called this decision of the government wrong. She wrote on ‘X’, ‘The decision of direct recruitment on 45 high posts of Joint Secretary, Director and Deputy Secretary in the Center is not correct, because the employees working on lower posts through direct recruitment will be deprived of the benefit of promotion.’ Mayawati said that making direct appointments on these high posts would be arbitrary on the part of the BJP government, which would be “illegal and unconstitutional.”
Let us tell you that 45 experts are soon to be appointed to the key posts of Joint Secretaries, Directors and Deputy Secretaries in various ministries of the Center. Usually, officers of All India Services – Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) – and other ‘Group A’ services are posted on such posts.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Saturday advertised for 45 posts, including 10 joint secretaries and 35 directors/deputy secretaries. These posts are to be filled through ‘lateral entry’ on contract basis. The advertisement said, “The Government of India wishes to appoint officers of the level of Joint Secretary and Director/Deputy Secretary through ‘lateral entry’. In this way, online applications are invited from talented Indian citizens aspiring to contribute in nation building to join the government at the level of Joint Secretary or Director/Deputy Secretary.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)