'Lateral entry an attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis,' says Rahul Gandhi

The Congress ramped up its criticism of the government's lateral entry policy for the public services, framing it as a direct threat to the reservation system. The party's argument is that the BJP's policy would erode the rights of marginalised communities meant to be assured through reservation.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, a staunch advocate for a caste census, condemned the policy as 'BJP’s distorted version of Ram Rajya', accusing the government of seeking to 'destroy the Constitution'.

Gandhi labelled the lateral entry policy as specifically an 'attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis'.

This follows a lengthy post on X by Gandhi in Hindi, in which he accused Prime Minister Modi of undermining constitutional institutions through the push for lateral entry into key government positions.

'Narendra Modi is attacking the Constitution by recruiting public servants through the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) instead of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). By filling critical roles in central government ministries through lateral entry, the reservation for SC, ST and OBC categories is being blatantly undermined,' Gandhi wrote.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge echoed these concerns, calling the policy an outright assault on the Constitution.

In a post on X, Kharge highlighted an increase in casual and contract recruitment under the current government.

Accusing the Modi government of using the policy to strip away the rights of Dalit and tribal communities and the backward classes, Kharge said, 'The posts reserved for SC, ST, OBC and EWS will now be handed to people aligned with the RSS. This is the BJP's chakravyuh, designed to alter the Constitution by dismantling the reservation system.'

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera also weighed in, questioning the effectiveness of the lateral entry system introduced under Modi's leadership.

"These were recommendations from the Administrative Reforms Commission. I want to know if the lateral entry rounds implemented in 2016, 2017 and 2018 were successful. Did the first round of lateral entry initiated by PM Narendra Modi achieve its goals?" asked Khera.

On Saturday, 18 August, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) advertised 45 positions —10 joint secretaries and 35 directors/deputy secretaries — to be filled through lateral entry on a contract basis.

Information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the lateral entry system introduced by the NDA government aims to improve governance.

"The UPA government itself conceived the idea of lateral entry," he added (apparently tautologically), referencing the second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) chaired by Veerappa Moily in 2005. That Commission that recommended recruiting subject experts to fill roles requiring specialised knowledge.