Welcoming the Supreme Court verdict of granting permanent commission to all women officers in the Indian Army, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying that it was his party’s legacy to deny women of the posts, The Times of India reported.

Gandhi had taken to Twitter alleging the BJP-led central government of “arguing in the SC that women Army officers didn’t deserve command posts or permanent service because they were inferior to men.”

“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,” Gandhi wrote.

However, BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi, responding to Gandhi’s remarks, said the Congress scion needed to refresh his memory and remember that it was his party that argued against permanent commissioning of women in army back in 2010.

“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,” Lekhi, who also represented the women officers in the top court, retreated.

The Supreme Court on Monday (17 February) declared that women officers shall be eligible for command posting in Army.

It said that the Union Government's policy decision of 2019 to grant Permanent Commission to women Army Officers would apply to all female officers.

It will apply to any woman officer who opt for it, and on all those within the period of 14 years of service and beyond.