On Tuesday, the Congress party welcomed the Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) decision to withdraw its advertisement for lateral entry hiring into government positions. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge attributed this reversal to the concerted efforts of Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc allies, framing it as a victory for social justice and a defeat for the BJP’s attempts to undermine reservation systems.
Kharge praised the decision in a post on X, stating, “The Modi government’s retreat on lateral entry highlights that only the power of the Constitution can counteract the arrogance of dictatorial power.” He also tagged Rahul Gandhi, emphasizing that the BJP’s plans to undermine reservations had been thwarted due to the sustained campaign by Congress and its allies. “As long as the BJP-RSS are in power, they will continue to find new ways to erode reservation policies. We must remain vigilant,” Kharge warned.
The Congress party had been vocal in its criticism of the lateral entry provisions, which they viewed as detrimental to the reservation system. Rahul Gandhi had called the provision an “anti-national step” and claimed that Congress had thwarted the BJP’s “conspiracies” against social justice. In a statement on X, Gandhi reiterated Congress’s commitment to protecting the reservation system, asserting, “We will protect the Constitution and the reservation system at all costs. Any attempts to breach the 50% reservation limit will be opposed. Jai Hind.”
Union Minister Jitendra Singh had previously requested UPSC Chairperson Preeti Sudan to cancel the advertisement. In his letter, Singh argued that lateral entry could undermine the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in the Constitution, particularly concerning reservation provisions. He noted that the specialized positions advertised, including 10 joint secretaries and 35 directors/deputy secretaries, did not include reservation provisions due to their single-cadre designation.
The Congress had criticized the lateral entry initiative as an “attack on Dalits, OBCs, and Adivasis,” viewing it as a direct challenge to the reservation system.
