Rahul Gandhi has goofed up yet again and this time has exposed the anti-women attitude of the UPA government under Manmohan Singh. On Monday 17th Feb, 2020 the Supreme Court approved the 2010 decision of the Delhi High Court to give permanent commission to women officers in the Indian Army. It said that the central government was obliged to grant permanent commission to women in the army in all areas except in combat roles.
However, in July 2010, the UPA government had challenged the HC decision in the Supreme Court. In its argument the UPA government had argued that the Indian Army comprised of men and men those especially from rural background would not be able to accept female officers! Such was the anti-woman attitude of the Congress led UPA that apart from opposing the HC verdict, the UPA government had filed another petition demanding not only a stay on the High Court verdict but also a review of the same.
In a hurry to target the BJP government, Rahul Gandhi famous for his goof-ups and gaffes took to Twitter and wrote: “The Govt disrespected every Indian woman, by arguing in the SC that women Army officers didn’t deserve command posts or permanent service because they were inferior to men. I congratulate India’s women for standing up & proving the BJP Govt wrong.”
His diatribe against BJP educated the netizens on the 2010 anti-women stance of the then UPA government under Manmohan Singh. In a haste to take away the credit from BJP, he has once again ended-up embarrassing his own party and UPA.
High Court had issued contempt notice to UPA government
Sif News reports that Manmohan Singh government made the appeal in SC a day after the single bench of the Delhi High court issued a contempt notice to the Chief of Army and the Ministry of Defence for not following any instructions on the 12 March verdict of the high court.
The then central government’s case was that the soldiers from mostly rural backgrounds in the army were not comfortable with women officers taking command. Many things like the physical condition of women, family responsibilities are hindrances to their becoming commanding officers, the Singh government had pleaded before the court. Advocate Anil Katiyar, who had filed the petition on behalf of the Centre, had said that the then government had filed an appeal against the ruling of the high court and also requested the Supreme Court to stay its implementation, reports Sirf News.
Defence Minister welcomes SC verdict
In March 2010 the Delhi High had ruled in favor of permanent commission to women officers in the army. The Delhi HC in its ruling had ordered a permanent commission for women like the one existing for men where on completion of 14 years in service. The serving woman officers had approached the SC against the the UPA governments stand of not implementing the Delhi HC’s order. The SC has now honored the Delhi HC verdict and set aside the objections of the UPA government against permanent commission for women in army.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court. He wrote “I wholeheartedly welcome Honble Supreme Court’s judgement on giving the Women officers permanent commission in the Armed Forces.”on Twitter expressing his joy at the decision.
BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi who argued on behalf of the woman officers in the supreme court wrote, “Grateful to all who supported our cause. Picture says it all. PM Sh Narendra Modi exhibited political will to grant permanent commission to the lady officers”.
She also lambasted Rahul Gandhi for trying to discredit BJP while it was UPA which argued against Permanent Commission for Women in army. “Mr Rahul Gandhi please click the refresh memory button. It was Congress govt that argued vociferously against permanent commissioning of women in the army back in2010 before the Delhi HC. Decision challenged before the SC which ruled in favour of women? Mr. G,it was YOUR OWN govt”, she replied to Rahul Gandhi.
