Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President M K Stalin described the Union government withdrawing lateral entry recruitment as a victory for social justice.
The BJP-led Union Government had been forced to retract from proceeding with the recruitment process under lateral entry only after strong opposition from the INDIA bloc, he said on Tuesday in a post on X. “But, we must remain vigilant as the BJP-led Union government will try to undermine reservation through various forms,” he cautioned against any complacency.
Further, Stalin made it clear that the ‘arbitrary 50% ceiling on reservation must be broken and a nationwide caste census is essential to protect the rights of the backward and oppressed. Ducking the demand for a socio-economic caste survey as was done in Bihar, the DMK government has been pressing for a caste census. In his view, the caste census is imperative to guarantee that educational and job opportunities are justly distributed to those who have been historically denied their rightful share.
Earlier in the day, the chief minister slammed lateral entry as a “direct assault on social justice, depriving the meritorious SC, ST, OBC and minority officers of their deserved opportunities at the top.”
The Union government, he said, should halt this practice and prioritise filling up backlog vacancies for OBCs, SCs/STs and ensure fair and equitable promotions.
Demanding complete abolition of creamy layer, Stalin said the DMK had always opposed the concept as antithetical to social justice. In the meantime, the ceiling for creamy layer should be enhanced, he added.
Barring the BJP, all parties, including the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), a constituent of the BJP-led NDA have also opposed the lateral entry recruitment.