'Hypocrisy,' says Ashiwini Vaishnaw after Rahul Gandhi calls Centre's lateral entry move 'anti-national'

Hours after Rahul Gandhi criticized the government's decision to recruit public servants through lateral entry, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw fired back, accusing the Congress of hypocrisy. 

Vaishnaw pointed out that it was the Congress-led UPA government that originally introduced the concept of lateral entry into government roles.

"INC hypocrisy is evident on the lateral entry matter. It was the UPA government which developed the concept of lateral entry. The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) was established in 2005 under the UPA government, chaired by Shri Veerappa Moily. The UPA-era ARC recommended the recruitment of experts to fill gaps in roles that require specialized knowledge," Vaishnaw stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Vaishnaw emphasized that the current NDA government has implemented this recommendation in a transparent and fair manner through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). "Recruitment will be done through UPSC in a transparent and fair manner. This reform will improve governance," he added.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had strongly condemned the lateral entry initiative, calling it an "anti-national step" and alleging that it undermines the reservation system for SCs, STs, and OBCs. "Reservation of SC, ST, and OBC classes is being openly snatched away by recruiting through lateral entry on important posts in various ministries of the central government," Gandhi asserted in a post on X.

He further accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "attacking the Constitution by recruiting public servants through the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh instead of the Union Public Service Commission."

The controversy erupted after the UPSC announced the lateral recruitment of 45 positions, including 10 Joint Secretary and 35 Director/Deputy Secretary roles across 24 central ministries. The move was met with criticism from other opposition leaders as well, with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav labeling it a "double attack on reservation" and a "joke on the Constitution," respectively.