Lateral entry: Opposition tastes blood as withdrawal of order marks govt's third rollback in Modi 3.0

One of the striking aspects about the move to withdraw the recruitment advertisement by UPSC is that the decision to take in specialists pertains to the Ministry of Personnel, which is directly under the control of PM.

New Delhi: The decision to go back on the attempt to recruit 45 people through lateral entry in senior government posts is the third such instance in less than 75 days into the third term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, signalling how precariously placed the alliance government is.

The Opposition has tasted blood and claims that the government is already on a “roll back” mode citing the instances of withdrawing the Budget announcement on indexation and putting the draft Broadcast Bill on backburner.

Some add the decision to send the Waqf (Amendment) Bill to a joint Parliamentary panel comparing it with how the ruling BJP pushed the triple talaq bill during Modi 2.0.

One of the striking aspects about the move to withdraw the recruitment advertisement by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is that the decision to take in specialists pertains to the Ministry of Personnel, which is  directly under the control of the Prime Minister. 

The pressure exerted by the Opposition and BJP allies JD(U), LJP (Ramvilas) and HAM were so huge that within three days of the advertisement and hours after a spirited defence of the advertisement by two senior ministers, including a Dalit, the government had to take  a step back.

In defence, senior ministers Ashwani Vaishnaw and Arjun Ram Meghwal, had cited the recommendation of the UPA-era Second Administrative Reforms Commission and referred to recruitment of Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Alhuwalia among others asking whether principles of quota were adhered to.

While 63 people have been appointed via lateral route since 2018, the government has not given any figure for those appointed before 2014 through lateral mode. The letter to the UPSC by Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh had referred to the erstwhile Sonia Gandhi-led “infamous” National Advisory Council as a “super bureaucracy”. 

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh bit back saying the very same ministers “have suddenly been derailed and are being forced to hail” Modi as a champion of social justice. “There is no limit to hypocrisy,” he said.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was quick to take on the government, saying the Congress would “foil conspiracies like BJP’s lateral entry at any cost” and would ensure social justice on the basis of caste count by breaking the 50 per cent reservation limit.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge referred to the rolling back of decisions on indexation, sending Waqf Amendment Bill to a Parliamentary panel and putting the Broadcast Bill “on the back-burner”, saying it showed the power of the people and the Opposition in saving the country.

While senior RJD MP Manoj K Jha said the government was “literally forced to rollback the decision” is “not an ordinary achievement”, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed, “BJP's conspiracies are not succeeding now, this is a big victory of the awakening and awareness that has come in the PDA (Pichde (Backwards), Dalits, Adivasis)”. 

For the BJP, the inability to cross 272 seats, the majority mark, in Lok Sabha and settling at 240 appears to have an impact on its decision making process though the the party is trying to project Modi’s thoughtfulness in ensuring social justice in the decision to “review” the lateral entry process.

From the start of the third term, the Modi government faced discontent over the Agnipath scheme from allies like JD(U) and TDP. Once a votary of sub-classification of SCs, the BJP also did not rush to celebrate the Supreme Court verdict amid allies LJP (Ramvilas) objecting to it