The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred the hearing of the fresh petitions pertaining to the entry of young women into the Sabarimala temple. However, 49 review petitions on the September 28 verdict will be heard today at 3 pm in the chamber of the Chief Justice.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph heard four petitioners – Akhil Bharatiya Malayalee Sangh, G Vijayakumar, S Jaya Raj Kumar and Shylaja Vijayan before deferring the hearing of the same. The Bench said that the writ petitions will be heard subject to the decision of the review petitions filed against the Sabarimala verdict.
In response to the Supreme Court verdict which held that women of all ages have the right to enter the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala, various organisations and individuals moved the court with review and writ petitions.
A Constitution Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices Rohinton Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud, and Indu Malhotra had, by a 4:1 majority, struck down Rule 3(b) of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965 which was the basis for barring entry of women between the ages of 10 and 50 years into the temple. The verdict had triggered huge outrage among devotees and created law-and-order issues with a hostile government in the state provoking devotees with violation of traditions. What astonished many was the huge turnout of women in these prayer marches where they outnumbered men.
The apex court had held that Rule 3(b) of 1965 Rules is a clear violation of right of Hindu women to practice religion under Article 25 of the Constitution. Further, it had ruled that the bar on entry of women between age of 10 and 50 years is not an essential part of the religion.
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