NEW DELHI: It was BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi and senior advocate Aishwarya Bhati , an additional advocate general of Uttar Pradesh government, who were leading from the front as part of their professional duty against the Centre in legal battle for ensuring permanent commission and command posting for women officers in Army and the government was represented by a former decorated army officer.The legal battle went for almost a decade in Supreme Court after the ministry of defence filed appeal against Delhi high court 2010 verdict directing the government to grant permanent commission to women officers. Although the issue of command posting was not dealt with by HC but Supreme Court agreed to examine the issue after Lekhi and Bhati pleaded to court to adjudicate on the issue.Ministry of defence was represented by senior advocate Senior advocate R Balasubramanian who is himself a decorated army officer and as retired as a Colonel from Army. He was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2006 by the President for his distinguished service. He also served in the United Nations as its legal advisor wining commendations from the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and Force Commander United Nations for “exceptional devotion to peace-keeping duties” in the United Nations Missions in Ethiopia and Eritrea.Although, the Centre lost the battle in SC but a bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi praised Balasubramanian to brief the court about the complex nuances involved in the matter pertaining to permanent commission.Women officer’s lawyer Lekhi and Bhati refrained from criticising the Centre and contended that there was political will on the part of the government to grant permanent commission as said by the Prime Minister in 2018 in Independence Day speech but they blamed army administration for reluctance in treating women officers on par with male officers.Countering defence ministry’s stand on denying command post to women in Army on the ground of their physiological limitations and prevailing societal norms, they told SC that it was a reflection of regressive mindset of the administration to perpetuate gender discrimination.The bench in its judgement also noted that the Centre had on 2 August 2010 made a statement before SC that “women SSC officers in service would be considered for grant of Permanent Commission in JAG and Education Branch of the Army within two months…”