NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court’s two-judge bench, led by CJI-designate Justice Sanjiv Khanna, said it will examine the writ petition challenging the imposition of ‘VIP entry charges’ at major temples across India.
The PIL said that the practice of charging fees for expedited or preferential darshan of deities discriminates against the economically disadvantaged devotees, violating Article 14 (right to equality) and Article 21 (right to dignity).
The petition argued that temples across the country are increasingly charging fees, ranging Rs 400-5,000, to facilitate quicker access for those who can afford the charges, while ordinary devotees, often indigent and travelling long distances, face significant delays in darshan. Such devotees include senior citizens, women, children and persons with disabilities.
The plea argued that “such fees might infringe upon the constitutional rights to equality, dignity, and religious freedom.”
The bench said, “Re-list (the plea) in the week commencing December 9, 2024.” At the outset, the counsel for the petitioner said, “This is a writ against imposition of VIP entry charges. In fact, the Madras High Court had dealt with the issue but did not go into the question of whether this is discriminatory, violative of Article 14.”
The apex court asked the lawyer to hand over the copy of the Madras High Court verdict in the matter. “The reason why we discussed was that there are certain issues. There are certain writ petitions pending, taking the view that there should not be any state interference/control or court interference. We will have to examine,” the apex court said.
Accordingly, the Supreme Court scheduled the matter for hearing in the week commencing from December 9.
With a rising trend in religious tourism, the petition warns that unchecked ‘VIP darshan’ practices pose a threat to equality and inclusivity in religious spaces, promoting a financially discriminatory environment. The petition urges the court to direct uniform access for all classes of devotees in temples nationwide and to curb preferential treatment based solely on payment.
“Not only the Hindus but also a large number of Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs visit the big temples across the country. The practice of imposing ‘VIP entry charges’ is intra-community as well as inter-community discrimination…Preferential treatment to a class/section of persons in the temples or other religious structures is a retrograde practice, promotes inequality and inequitability, and is antithetical to the basic tenets of the Constitution,” the petition said.
Threat to equality
With rise in religious tourism, the PIL warned that unchecked ‘VIP darshans’ pose a threat to equality and inclusivity in religious spaces, promoting a financially discriminatory environment. It urged the court to direct uniform access for all classes of devotees in temples and to curb preferential treatment based on payment.
