Congress, BJP spar over lateral entry issue; SP warns of agitation

On Sunday, opposition parties criticized the government's decision to hire public servants through lateral entry, arguing it would remove reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs. The BJP defended the move, stating it aims to introduce transparency in a practice initiated under the Congress-led UPA. Opposition parties including the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) accused the BJP of using this method to appoint their ideological allies to high positions discreetly.