Manmohan, Montek came through lateral entry: Law minister reminds Gandhi

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Monday hit out at Rahul Gandhi for his claim that the government was trying to bypass the reservation system through lateral entry, reminding the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha that former prime minister Manmohan Singh was made the finance secretary in 1976 through the lateral entry route.

The minister also dismissed as "baseless" Gandhi's allegation that RSS people will be hired as public servants through this mode and pointed out that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who made the system of lateral entry methodical by giving the mandate to UPSC for framing rules. Earlier, he pointed out, there was no formal system in place for such entry into governance.

"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," Meghwal told PTI Videos in Bikaner.

He said that RSS is an organisation that promotes cultural nationalism.

The minister alleged