In response to the Centre’s decision to withdraw its recent advertisement for lateral entry into the bureaucracy, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, pledged on Tuesday that the Congress will protect the Constitution and the reservation system at all costs and foil "conspiracies" of the BJP.
"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," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.
Gandhi's comments followed a letter from Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh to Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Chairman Preeti Sudan, requesting the cancellation of the advertisement to ensure that marginalized communities receive their rightful representation in government services.
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"I am saying it again - by removing the 50 per cent reservation cap, we will ensure social justice based on caste census," the former Congress chief said.
On August 17, the UPSC announced a notification to recruit 45 joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries through lateral entry, which involves appointing specialists, including those from the private sector, to government departments. This decision sparked criticism from opposition parties, who argued that it undermined the reservation rights of OBCs, SCs, and STs.