Women really contributed to drafting Constitution: CJI

Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud on Wednesday said he used the expression "founding fathers and mothers of the Constitution" in the 2018 Constitution bench judgment on Delhi-Centre row to give due recognition to women.

Chandrachud recalled his remark as he resumed the hearing of the vexatious Centre-Delhi government feud for control of services while presiding over a five-judge Constitution bench.

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"Founding fathers and mothers of Constitution. I'm reading this for the first time. We call them mothers because otherwise the role played by women members would not be identified. These women really contributed in drafting the Constitution," the CJI said.

The bench also comprised Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha.

The remark from the CJI came when senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the AAP government, was reading out from the 2018 judgment of the apex court.

In the 2018 judgement, a five-judge Constitution bench had unanimously held that the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is bound by the aid and advice of the elected government, and both needed to work harmoniously with each other.