The Congress and Janata Dal United (JDU) have voiced strong opposition to the lateral entry scheme in the bureaucracy. They claim that the SC, ST, and OBC sections are being ignored in this move. Randeep Surjewala of Congress took to Twitter to criticize the central government, stating that the Modi administration is evading the Constitutional provisions.
Referring to media reports, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted, 'SC/ST/OBC reservations in the Indian government have been abolished for 40% of the new Joint Secretary appointments. While it is important to recruit new talent into the administration, it is inappropriate to do so by sidelining the Constitution.'
In another tweet, he remarked, 'Earlier, a single-post cadre system was implemented to eliminate SC/ST/OBC reservations in universities. This move was rolled back due to electoral pressures. If these criteria were deemed incorrect then, how can they be acceptable for appointing Joint Secretaries now?'
JDU spokesperson K.C. Tyagi also expressed concerns, stating that while it is essential to incorporate talented individuals into the government, it should not be done at the expense of constitutional rights. He emphasized that the Constitution guarantees certain rights and privileges to SC, ST, OBC, and educationally backward communities. This move could be seen as an attack on reservation rights.
