Victory for constitution: Opposition over cancellation of lateral entry advertisements

New Delhi, Aug 20: After the Centre asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to cancel the latest advertisement for lateral entry into the bureaucracy, the opposition leaders praised Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for defending the lateral entry advertisement and said that it’s a victory for the Constitution.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore said that the year 2024 has given a “weak Prime Minister and strong People’s Leader of the Opposition.”

“2024 has given us two outcomes: a weak Prime Minister and a strong People’s Leader of the Opposition. In the end, it’s a victory for our Constitution,” Tagore posted on X.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi thanked Rahul Gandhi and said that India is on a path towards dignity for all because of your steadfast commitment.

“Thank you @RahulGandhi for persistently defending the cause of the Dalits, Adivasi and OBCs. India is on a path towards dignity for all because of your steadfast commitment towards social justice and the Indian constitution,” Gogoi posted on X.

Congress leader Supriya Srinate said that the cancellation of the latest advertisement for lateral entry into the bureaucracy is a victory of India’s Constitution.

“The cancellation of the latest advertisement for lateral entry is the victory of India’s Constitution. The decision was unconstitutional, it was an attack on the Constitution, and it was an attack on the reservation of Dalits, Adivasi and OBCs. The government has to withdraw it and I would like to give credit to Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge ji and the whole opposition who opposed this decision,” the Congress leader told ANI.

“PM Modi should not try to take credit for this cancellation and in the Modi 3.0 government, people will see many more such incidents when the government will have to withdraw their decision. This is the victory of democracy and the constitution,” Srinate added.

This comes after the Department of Personnel and Training Minister, Jitendra Singh wrote to the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission on Tuesday to cancel the lateral entry advertisement related to several lateral entry posts at various levels in the central government as per directions of PM Modi.

“Recently, the UPSC issued an advertisement related to a number of lateral entry posts at various levels in the Central Government. It is well known that, as a principle, lateral entry was endorsed by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission which was constituted in 2005, and chaired by Shri Veerappa Moily. The recommendations of the sixth pay commission in 2013 were also in the same direction. However, both before and after that there have been many high-profile cases of lateral entrants,” the letter said.

“Under earlier governments, posts as important as that of the Secretary in various ministries, leadership of UIDAI, etc., have been given to lateral entrants without following any process of reservations. Further, it is well known that the members of the infamous National Advisory Council used to run a super-bureaucracy that controlled the Prime Minister’s Office,” the Minister’s letter added.

“While most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad-hoc manner, including cases of alleged favouritism, efforts of our Government have been to make the process institutionally driven, transparent and open,” the letter said.

“Further, the Prime Minister is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation. For the Prime Minister, reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of our social justice framework, aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity,” the letter stated.

“It is important that the constitutional mandate towards social justice is upheld so that deserving candidates from marginalized communities get their rightful representation in the government services. Since these positions have been treated as specialized and designated as single-cadre posts, there has been no provision for reservation in these appointments. This aspect needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of the Prime Minister’s focus on ensuring social justice,” it added.

“Hence, I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on August 17, 2024. This step would be a significant advance in the pursuit of social justice and empowerment,” the letter said.