New Delhi: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is facing sharp criticism after making a complete U-turn on the issue of lateral entry into the bureaucracy, just days after staunchly defending the policy. The sudden reversal has led to accusations of hypocrisy, particularly on social media, where users have called out the minister for changing his stance.Vaishnaws defense of lateral entryEarlier, Vaishnaw had defended the Union Public Service Commissions (UPSC) advertisement for lateral entry, emphasizing that the reform was intended to improve governance. He pointed out that the concept of lateral entry was originally developed under the UPA government, asserting that it was not a new idea but one that had its roots in past administrative reforms.The hypocrisy of the Indian National Congress (INC) is evident on the issue of lateral entry, Vaishnaw had remarked, citing the establishment of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) in 2005 under the UPA government, chaired by Veerappa Moily. He also mentioned that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had entered the government through lateral entry as an economic adviser in 1971.Just look at the Hypocrisy of @AshwiniVaishnaw pic.twitter.com/aT0eEAF4Na— Spirit of Congress✋ (@SpiritOfCongres) August 20, 2024Dramatic reversal amid political pressureHowever, following a letter from Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh, the UPSC rolled back the advertisement, and Vaishnaws stance shifted dramatically. The Union Minister then declared that lateral entry should be aligned with the principles of reservation, which is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modis commitment to social justice.PM Modi has always strongly believed in social justice, and his programs have consistently advanced the welfare of the weakest sections of our society, Vaishnaw tweeted, highlighting the importance of reservation in the lateral entry process.Congress calls out Vaishnaws hypocrisyThis abrupt change in position has drawn widespread criticism. Congress leaders were quick to seize the opportunity to criticize the government. Jairam Ramesh, a senior Congress leader, tweeted, The difference between reel and real life, while Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed sarcastically commented, Both the implementation and withdrawal are being hailed as masterstrokes under this government.In response to Congresss claims that the rollback was a result of the partys campaign, Vaishnaw attempted to deflect the criticism back onto Congress. He questioned whether the UPA government had considered the principles of reservation during its tenure, challenging the opposition to justify their stance.A decision has been taken to implement principles of reservation in the transparent process of lateral entry through UPSC. During the UPA government, these principles were not considered. The Congress should answer for that, Vaishnaw told reporters.
