CHENNAI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to give urgent hearing to petitions seeking review of its ruling lifting age-old restrictions on allowing women from entering Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala in Kerala. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi turned down after advocate Mathews Nedumpara made a request for urgent listing of review petitions.CJI said, “The case may come up only after Dussehra vacation.”The temple reopens on October 16.
As per the general practice, review petitions are decided in chamber where parties are not represented by their advocates. But in exceptional cases, review petitions are heard in open court and parties can be represented by their advocates.
Days after the constitution bench had lifted the restriction on the entry of women into the temple, four petitions were filed on Monday seeking a review of the verdict that has evoked a series of protests by women devotees. By 4:1, a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra had declared the practice unconstitutional. Justice Indu Malhotra, the lone woman on the bench, had dissented.
The review petitioners, including Nair Service Society and People for Dharma, said the court wrongly concluded that exclusion of women between the age of 10 and 50 was discriminatory and erred in allowing women of all age groups into the temple.It is also contended in the PIL that the petitioners in the original PIL were not devotees of Lord Ayyappa and hence had no cause of action to approach the court.The plea also highlighted as to how the majority verdict erred in holding that devotees of Lord Ayyappa do not constitute a religious denomination within the meaning of Article 26 of the Constitution.
‘Will stop women from entering’
Kottayam: Kerala Janapaksham leader P C George MLA warned the government of serious law and order issues once the Supreme Court order permitting women of all ages to offer worship at Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala is implemented. George was speaking to media persons after commencing a one-day fast at Erumeli in solidarity with the Ayyappa devotees, protesting against the apex court order. “I won’t allow young women to trek to Sabarimala through the Assembly Constituency, which I represent. We will prevent young women, who are heading to Sabarimala,” he said.
Protest march
Chengannur: The Nair Service Society, which is at the forefront of Sabarimala agitations, conducted a Namajapa Ghoshayathra on Tuesday from Mundenkavu to Chengannur Mahadeva temple.
Special arrangements
T’Puram: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is making special arrangements at Sabarimala ahead of the Mandala-Makaravilakku season. This include parking arrange-ments for 10,000 vehicles and special toilet blocks and shelter for women at Nilakkal. A report has been submitted to the High Court on the arrangements.