UPSC’s Lateral Entry U-Turn for 45 Seats: Who Takes the Credit—BJP Allies or the Opposition?

On Tuesday, the UPSC released a statement to withdraw the advertisement meant to recruit 45 individuals through lateral entry into the bureaucracy, a process that created substantial political reactions. The decision that has been under discussion has been attributed to both supporters and critics of the ruling BJP.

JD(U) Hails UPSC Move on Social Justice: Winning for Nitish Kumar Advocacy

The Janata Dal United [JD(U)], a BJP partner, had expressed severe apprehensions over the lateral entry process on Monday. After the UPSC’s move the party supported the decision and claimed responsibility for it. The letter was written by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who holds the charge of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), to UPSC Chairperson Preeti Sudan with an appeal to adhere to the constitutional provision of protecting social justice. He explained that qualified individuals from the depressed groups should be given their due share in public service.

JD(U)’s national spokesperson, K C Tyagi thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking cognizance of their grievances. ‘This is a success of the social justice movement spearheaded by Nitish Kumar. He has again proved that he is the leader of the social justice in the country’, remarked Tyagi, further stressing the importance of this decision for the targeted groups.

Chirag Paswan Supports Decision to Cancel Lateral Entry, Backs Reservation Rules

Lok Janshakti Party leader and union minister Chirag Paswan, whose Ram Vilas had been scheduled to take place in December, said he is fine with the calling off as well. Speaking at a press conference in Patna, Paswan recalled that he and his party have been strongly against the lateral entry recruitment system. He stressed that any appointments to government that is in the process of making should put in to consideration the provisions of reservation. Paswan endorsing the decision of the Prime Minister and mentioned it that decision was in the line of the policy of the NDA government for making the weaker sections of society empowered.

Congress Celebrates UPSC’s Lateral Entry Rollback, Promises to Protect Reservation System

The Congress party, which was in the opposition at that time also taking its pounds of flesh declared that it was due to its pressure that the cut was rolled back. The Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that his party’s struggle for social justice for the Dalit, tribal, backward and weaker sections prevented the BJP from implementing its effort to dilute the reservation system. Addressing the gathering, Kharge said that, as long the BJP-RSS combine continued to be in the saddle, they would come up with newer wicked ways of undermining the supply of reservations to the dalits , the tribals and the OBCs; hence the public must not rest.

The leader of the Indian opposition Rahul Gandhi once again underlined the Congress party’s readiness to defend the Constitution and the policy of reservation at the lower house of the parliament. He also committed to not allow BJP to implement lateral entry to affect reservation for SC/STs. Gandhi insisted on the fact that the Congress would prevent such conspiracies at any price.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore posted fiery comments on his facebook to make people aware of the political angles of the verdict. He commentedively that in the cou and events of 2024 we had unleashed a weak Prime Minister and a muscular Leader of the Opposition to boot. Tagore cast the withdrawal in the light of constitution and democratic machinery.

Akhilesh Yadav said that rollback was for ‘public unity’ but promised to keep fighting against ‘lateral entry

The contribution of the Samajwadi Party was not to be outdone and its president, Akhilesh Yadav referred to the decision as a triumph for the unity of the public. He disclosed that his party had asked folks to protest against the lateral entry agitation starting from October 2 and that the withdrawal of the UPSC advert was evidence that the people’s power was formidable. Yadav was clear that in the future as well the SP would actively oppose such an attempt to avoid the reservation system through lateral entry.

Manoj Kumar Jha Thanks Dalit-Bahujan Solidarity and Tejashwi Yadav for Rolling Back the Lateral Entry

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha stated the same thing affirming that cancellation has happened because of the collective efforts of the Dalit–Bahujan populace and legal activists. Jha pointed out the Bihar Assembly Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, who had promptly called a press conference once the lateral entry advertisement was released on August 7. Jha attributed the broad popularity it received thereafter for making the government back down on the decision.

Mayawati: Government Acted Due to BSP Protests, Demands End to Anti-Reservation Policies

Reflecting the BSP’s strident opposition, the party’s president, Mayawati said that the government had been forced to act as they had grown uncomfortable with the brazenness of the scamsters. Mayawati urged an end to all forms of ‘anti-reservation processes’ at all levels of government.

The decision to stall the UPSC’s lateral entry recruitment process has therefore been highly welcomed by almost everybody in the political divide. Different stakeholders have come out to take credit for the completion saying that they intervened to ensure that social justice is done by giving the community a fair shot at accessing government services.

News Source: The Indian Express