Opposition Parties Blast BJP's Lateral Entry Hiring

Opposition parties criticized the BJP's lateral entry hiring, accusing it of bypassing reservation quotas for SCs, STs, and OBCs. BJP defended the system, citing past procedures by the Congress-led UPA and emphasizing transparency. Controversy continues over potential impacts on reservations and the hiring process's fairness.

On Sunday, opposition parties strongly criticized the BJP's move to hire public servants through lateral entry, alleging it circumvents reservation quotas for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). They accused the BJP of using these appointments to place ideological allies in high positions.

Rahul Gandhi, Opposition Leader, claimed that this initiative amounts to privatizing the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), endangering reservation policies. He emphasized that the INDIA bloc would staunchly oppose this 'anti-national step.' Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav announced plans for a protest starting from October 2.

In response, the BJP referred to office memorandums from the Union Home Ministry and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which mandate adherence to reservation guidelines. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and BJP IT head Amit Malviya defended the hiring process, arguing that it ensures compliance with reservation policies and enhances governance.