Manmohan Singh became finance secretary through lateral entry: Law Minister Arjun Meghwal hits out at Rahul Gandhi

Amid an ongoing political slugfest over lateral entry into government jobs, the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre on Monday hit-out at Rahul Gandhi over his claim.

Slamming Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and Congress leader, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal reminded that former prime minister Manmohan Singh was made the finance secretary in 1976 through the lateral entry route.

Alleging that Gandhi was trying to mislead people and tarnish the image of institutions like UPSC, Meghwal said Dr Manmohn Singh was also part of the lateral entry.

On Monday, in post on X, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government's move of recruiting public servants through lateral entry was an attack on Dalits, OBCs and adivasis. The LoP also accused the BJP of seeking to snatch reservations from 'bahujans'.

"Rahul Gandhi alleges that RSS people are recruited through lateral entry. We want to say that Dr Manmohan Singh is also an example of lateral entry. In 1976, how did you appoint him Financial Secretary? Your Planning Commission's vice-chairman was also on a lateral entry. You will find hundreds of such examples...you started lateral entry," ANI quoted Meghwal as saying.

Whereas, speaking to PTI, the Law Minister said that whatever appointments or recruitments or selections are to be done, UPSC will do it. “Where is the issue of BJP, RSS in this? Baseless allegations are being made,” he added.

Further, the law minister said that the then Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia entered service through the lateral entry route.

Meanwhile, BJP ally Chirag Paswan, the president of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), has voiced concern over making any appointments in government posts without providing reservation.

“Reservation provisions must be there in any government appointment. There is no ifs and buts in this,” said Pawan.

What Shashi Tharor said on lateral entry?

In a post on X, Thiruvananthapuram MP and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, “My position on lateral entry is that it is an indispensable method for the government to acquire expertise which it otherwise lacks, in specific areas of specialisation for which there are no qualified persons already in government service. In the short term, it remains unavoidable. In the long-term, what is needed is for government officers, recruited under the existing rules, including applicable reservations, to be trained in the necessary specialisations needed by the government.”