BJP 'violating' Constitutional norms: Pawan Khera on lateral entry appointments into bureaucracy

New Delhi: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Tuesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party is "violating the Constitutional norms from the backdoor" by making lateral entry

appointments into bureaucracy which are devoid of representation for Dalits, Adivasi and Backward Classes.

The Modi government made 52 recruitments under lateral entry from 2017 to 2021, in which Dalits, Adivasi and Backward Classes did not get any representation, Khera, the Congress party's spokesperson, told IANS.

The Congress has been critical of the Union Public Service Commission advertisement seeking recruitment of domain experts into bureaucracy and claimed that it was BJP's "conspiracy" to deprive the unprivileged community of reaching top positions in government.

After Maharashtra's Badlapur district recorded a heinous crime against two school girls, which triggered protest by locals, Khera taunted that he hoped that the BJP would be holding protests there also and demanding the resignation of the chief minister of the state.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, crime against women has been increasing, and the Modi government should come forward and reply to it, he said.

On the National Conference promising in its manifesto revocation of Article 370 and statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, Khera said he cannot comment on the manifesto of the other party.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Russia and a proposed visit to Ukraine, the Congress leader said that he should make a stopover at Manipur which will take only half an hour to an hour.

The PM should take stock of the crime against women and the news tapes that have surfaced in which Manipur CM can be reportedly heard "hatching a conspiracy", Khera said.

Replying to a question on the nature of the probe in Kolkata rape and murder case, he said, "We will not comment when an investigation is underway. The probe should be completed as early as possible and criminals should be dealt with sternly."

On Justice Hema Committee revealing about sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry, Khera said that he had not read that report, but, if such things have happened, it is a serious issue.