Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Monday attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his claim that the government was trying to bypass the reservation system through ‘lateral entry’. Meghwal reminded the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was made Finance Secretary in 1976 through ‘lateral entry’. The Union Minister also termed as baseless Gandhi’s allegation that RSS men would be appointed as public servants through this method.
Meghwal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has streamlined the lateral entry system by giving rule-making power to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). He said there was no formal system for such entry in the earlier regime. “Whatever appointment or recruitment or selection has to be done, UPSC will do it. Where is the issue of BJP, RSS in this? Baseless allegations are being made,” he told PTI Video in Bikaner. Meghwal said the RSS is an organisation that promotes cultural nationalism.
The minister alleged that Gandhi is trying to mislead people by spreading lies and tarnish the image of institutions like UPSC. He said that Rahul Gandhi is making such false allegations and he will never succeed in his efforts. Meghwal said that despite holding the constitutional post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi is making irresponsible statements.
The minister said, “Dr Manmohan Singh was also a part of ‘lateral entry’. How did you make him finance secretary directly in 1976?” He said that the then Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia had joined the service through ‘lateral entry’.
Meghwal said that Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi was made the head of the National Advisory Council (NAC). He quipped, “The post of the Prime Minister is constitutional. Is the NAC a constitutional institution?” He said that Sonia Gandhi was placed above the Prime Minister.
The minister alleged that then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had opposed reservation in 1961 and Rajiv Gandhi as leader of opposition had opposed OBC reservation in Lok Sabha. Meghwal said these are contractual posts. “Suppose an environmental expert becomes deputy secretary, what is the problem in that… one should be an expert in a particular field,” he said.
He said the ‘lateral entry’ is open to all. “People from SC, ST and OBC categories also apply. IAS vacancies are different. They claim we are ending reservation. What were you doing when you were recruiting? Suddenly their love for OBCs has come to the fore. They are trying to mislead SC, ST, OBC students,” Meghwal said.
Condemning the rape and murder of the junior doctor in Kolkata, he said the whole country was ashamed. “After the incident, efforts were made to destroy evidence. This is a very shameful incident and we strongly condemn it,” Meghwal said. Later, Meghwal, an MP from Bikaner, reached the BSF post at Khanuwali on the Indo-Pak border and celebrated Raksha Bandhan with women BSF personnel.
