Meghwal counters Rahul, Cites Manmohan as Example of Lateral Entry

On Monday, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal responded sharply to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the government’s push for lateral entry into government positions, stating that the Congress had historically made similar decisions. Meghwal pointed out that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who joined as Economic Advisor in the Finance Ministry in 1971, was a lateral entry appointment before later becoming Finance Secretary.

“Rahul Gandhi, as the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, holds a constitutional post but seems unaware of these facts. He accuses the government of recruiting RSS-affiliated individuals through lateral entry, but it was the Congress that started the practice,” Meghwal said. “In 1976, how did you appoint Dr. Manmohan Singh as Financial Secretary? Your Planning Commission’s Vice-Chairman was also a lateral entry. There are hundreds of such examples, you initiated lateral entry,” he added.

Meghwal also accused the Congress of attempting to mislead marginalized communities, including SC, ST, and OBC groups, by raising unfounded concerns over reservations. He highlighted that the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, constituted by the Congress-led UPA government in 2005, had recommended bringing in experts for roles requiring specialized knowledge.

The Union Law Minister also revisited past controversies, alleging that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi opposed the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, which had recommended reservations for OBCs. “Now, the Congress is suddenly professing love for OBCs while misleading SC/ST/OBC students,” Meghwal said.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had launched a fierce attack on the BJP-led government over its recent move to recruit individuals for 45 mid-level positions, including joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries, through lateral entry. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi said, “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.”

The move by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to invite applications for these positions has been met with criticism from several opposition parties.