Oppn claims victory on UPSC lateral entry; govt credits PM for 'social justice'

New Delhi: The opposition on Tuesday claimed that the Centre's move to withdraw the advertisement for lateral entry in bureaucracy was due to pressure exerted by it and the power of the Constitution, even as the government asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always shown his commitment towards social justice.

BJP ally and Union minister Chirag Paswan, who had voiced opposition to the lateral entry recruitment, welcomed the decision and asserted that the Modi government has reaffirmed its "commitment towards SCs, STs and OBCs" by asking the Union Public Service Commission to withdraw the advertisement.

Addressing a press conference in Patna, Paswan also slammed the Congress-led opposition for "selective criticism" of the ruling NDA and accused the previous governments of failure to fill up posts reserved for the deprived castes.

"I thank my Prime Minister for seeking cancellation of lateral entry, on behalf of my Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). This government has set a precedent. Hopefully, regimes of future will show a similar sensitivity to public sentiments," Paswan said.

The Centre on Tuesday asked the UPSC to cancel the latest lateral entry recruitment, amid a row over reservation in the advertised posts. Later, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) cancelled the advertisement.

Reacting to the development, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi asserted that the Congress will protect the Constitution and the reservation system at all costs and foil the "conspiracies" of the BJP.

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "We will protect the Constitution and the reservation system at all costs. We will foil the BJP's conspiracies like that of 'lateral entry' at any cost." "I am saying it again -- by removing the 50% reservation cap, we will ensure social justice on the basis of caste census," the former Congress chief said.

Kharge said, "Long live the Constitution! The Congress party's fight for social justice for our Dalits, tribals, backward and weaker sections has foiled the BJP's plans to snatch away reservation." "Modi government's letter on lateral entry shows that only the power of the Constitution can defeat the arrogance of a dictatorial regime," the Congress chief said in a post in Hindi on X.

He said it was due to the campaign run by Rahul Gandhi, the Congress and INDIA bloc parties, that the government has taken a step back. "But as long as the BJP-RSS are in power, it will keep adopting new tactics to snatch away reservation. We all have to be careful," Kharge said.

"Whether it is the long term capital gain/Indexation attack on the middle class in the budget, or referring the Waqf Bill to JPC, or putting the Broadcast Bill on the back-burner -- the power of the people and the opposition is saving the country from the Modi government," he said.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Modi government has decided to apply the principle of reservation in lateral entry to ensure social justice.

Vaishnaw told reporters the prime minister had reinforced BR Ambedkar's commitment to the Constitution with this important decision.

"The UPSC adopted a very transparent method for Lateral Entry. Now, we have decided to apply the Principle of Reservation in that too. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has always shown his commitment towards social justice," Vaishnaw said.

"We gave constitutional status to the OBC Commission which was earlier an ordinary body. Be it NEET, medical admission, Sainik Vidyalaya or Navodaya Vidyalaya, we have implemented the principle of reservation everywhere," he said.

However, opposition parties were scathing in their criticism of the government and claimed that the pressure exerted by them led to the withdrawal of the advertisement by the government.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav took a swipe at the BJP-led central government over the issue, saying it succumbed to the unity of the 'PDA'.

Yadav's "PDA formula" refers to a combination of "Pichde (backward classes), Dalit and Alpasankhyak (minorities)".

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav alleged that "lateral entry" in bureaucracy was aimed at filling up posts with those inclined towards the RSS, the ideological parent organisation of the BJP.

"How did the UPSC bring in such an advertisement, in the first place? The Centre is enacting a drama after its agenda against reservations and the Constitution got exposed," Yadav told PTI Videos.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati claimed that the Centre has withdrawn the advertisement for recruitment to bureaucracy through lateral entry after her party's opposition to the move, stressing that "all such anti-reservation processes" need to be stopped.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar said the BJP used to work arbitrarily when it was in full majority at the Centre earlier, but it was left with no option and had to cancel the latest lateral entry recruitment after it was challenged.

The Aam Aadmi Party also hit out at the BJP over the issue, accusing it of being "anti-Constitution".

Addressing a press conference, AAP leader Jasmine Shah alleged the BJP wants to end reservation in appointment of IAS officers.