NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, FEB 17
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed the Narendra Modi government over its stand in the Supreme Court that women officers do not deserve command posts or a permanent service in the Indian Army.
The Congress leader also welcomed the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement and said, “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 and proving the BJP govt wrong,” Gandhi said on Twitter.
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. https://t.co/B67u5VNkrK
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 17, 2020
A division bench of the Apex Court headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud directed that there will not be any absolute bar on giving women command postings. It also directed the government to grant commission to women within three months.
“Women officers in the past have brought laurels to the country and a change of mind set is required on the part of the government to put an end to gender bias in armed forces,” the bench observed.
Welcoming the historic judgement by the Supreme Court, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the order is a befitting reply to the prejudice of BJP government towards women’s power.
सुप्रीम कोर्ट के ऐतिहासिक फैसले ने देश की महिलाओं की उड़ान को नए पंख दिए हैं।
महिलाएँ सक्षम हैं – सेना में, शौर्य में और जल, थल, नभ में।
पूर्वाग्रह से ग्रस्त हो नारी शक्ति का विरोध करने वाली मोदी सरकार को ये करारा जवाब है।https://t.co/ZFyI9U6AB5
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) February 17, 2020
“Women are capable – in the army, in valour and in water, land, sky,” Priyanka said.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court, in a historical verdict, pronounced that all women be considered for permanent commission in the Army and be given command posting on par with their male counterparts.
In a written note, the Apex Court said that women officers above 14 years of service would be permitted to serve up to 20 years without consideration for permanent commission and would be released with pensionary benefits subject to meeting disciplinary and medical criteria.
The note also mentioned that women officers having over 20 years of service would be released with pensionary benefits.
