Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal Responds to Rahul Gandhi’s Criticism on Lateral Entry
New Delhi [India], August 19: Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on the government’s lateral entry policy. Meghwal pointed out that Congress had made similar decisions in the past, citing former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s entry into the government as an example.
Meghwal said, “Rahul Gandhi is also the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. He holds a constitutional post but is not paying attention to these things. He alleges that RSS people are recruited through lateral entry. We want to say that Dr. Manmohan Singh is also an example of lateral entry. In 1976, how did you appoint him Financial Secretary? Your Planning Commission’s vice-chairman was also on a lateral entry. You will find hundreds of such examples…you started lateral entry.”
Meghwal accused Congress of trying to mislead the people from SC, ST, and OBC communities on the issue of reservation. He highlighted that the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, formed in 2005 during the Congress-led UPA government, had suggested recruiting experts to fill roles requiring specialized knowledge.
Meghwal also alleged that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was against the implementation of the Mandal Commission report. “Now suddenly they (Congress) have a love for OBC and they are misleading SC/ST OBC students,” Meghwal added.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government over the move for lateral entry of individuals on a few posts. “Lateral entry is an attack on Dalits, OBCs, and Adivasis. BJP’s distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch reservations from Bahujans,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.
UPSC recently invited applications for 45 mid-level posts, including joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries, through lateral entry. Several opposition parties have opposed the decision.
Doubts Revealed
Union Minister -: A Union Minister is a person who is in charge of a specific department in the central government of India. They help make important decisions for the country.
Arjun Ram Meghwal -: Arjun Ram Meghwal is a politician in India who is currently serving as the Union Law Minister. He is responsible for legal matters in the country.
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is a leader of the Congress party in India. He is the son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
Lateral Entry -: Lateral entry is a policy where people from outside the government, like experts or professionals, are hired for important government jobs. This is different from the usual way of promoting people who are already in the government.
Congress -: Congress is one of the major political parties in India. It has been in power many times since India became independent.
Manmohan Singh -: Manmohan Singh is a former Prime Minister of India. He is known for his work in improving India’s economy.
SC, ST, and OBC -: SC stands for Scheduled Castes, ST stands for Scheduled Tribes, and OBC stands for Other Backward Classes. These are groups of people in India who have been historically disadvantaged and are given special reservations in jobs and education.
Second Administrative Reforms Commission -: The Second Administrative Reforms Commission was a group set up by the Indian government to suggest ways to improve the functioning of the government. They made many recommendations to make the government work better.
UPA government -: UPA stands for United Progressive Alliance. It is a coalition of political parties in India, led by the Congress party, that was in power before the current government.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party. It is another major political party in India and is currently in power.
Marginalized communities -: Marginalized communities are groups of people who have been pushed to the edges of society and have not had the same opportunities as others. In India, this often includes SC, ST, and OBC groups.
