Sabarimala Temple Case: Deity Can’t Suddenly Disappear for 5 Days to Reappear Later, Says Supreme Court on Proposal to Allow Women’s Entry 5 Days a Month
In the last week, the Supreme Court's five-judge Constitution Bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Mishra and senior judges said that the banning of women from the temple was against the constitutional mandate.
New Delhi, July 24: Amid the Supreme Court hearing on lifting the age-old ban on women entering the Sabarimala temple, Justice Rohinton Nariman, on Tuesday questioned the stand of Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) in Kerala High Court for allowing women in the temple for 5 days in a month. Nariman, one of the judges in Constitution bench, said deity cannot suddenly disappear for five days only to reappear later.
In the last week, the Supreme Court's five-judge Constitution Bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Mishra and senior judges said that the banning of women from the temple was against the constitutional mandate. “Your (intervener) right to pray being a woman is equal to that of a man and it is not dependent on a law to enable you to do that,” the bench observed. Meanwhile, the Kerala government too made it clear that it supported the right of women to enter the shrine and pray.
In the last week, Justice DY Chandrachud, who was part of the five-judge constitutional bench that was hearing the case, said every woman is also the creation of God and why should there be discrimination against them in employment or worship.
Reports inform that Travancore Devaswom Board, which takes care of the temple’s affairs, made ID proof compulsory for women devotees wanting to pray at the temple a few months ago. In October 2017, the Supreme Court had formed the constitution bench to hear the case, primary among which is whether the ban amounts to discrimination against women. Reports inform that petitioner which is, the Indian Young Lawyers Association challenged the 800-year-old practice of the shrine.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 24, 2018 12:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).