9-judge SC bench to hear Sabarimala order issues

NEW DELHI:A nine-judge bench of SC will on April 7 start hearing one of the most contentious disputes between faith and fundamental rights, arising from its Sept 2018 judgment that allowed women of all ages to enter Sabarimala temple, which had customarily barred entry of females of menstruating age.

The judgment had triggered a series of petitions seeking its review and pleas for similar rulings on PILs that had sought entry of women into mosques, abolition of the practice of khatna (female genital mutilation) among Dawoodi Bohra community members and pleas for entry of Parsi women who have married outside their community into fire temple.




A bench of CJI Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said it would hear the batches of appeal separately and examine the core issue - the conflict between faith-based customs and women's fundamental rights. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta supported petitions seeking review of Sabarimala judgment without elaborating on Centre's stand.

Women's entry in Sabarimala not a govt order: Kerala minister

Kerala law minister P Rajeev said on Monday that the state govt still has time to clarify its stand on the issue of women entering the Sabarimala temple, and that the matter cannot be reduced to a "yes or no" answer.

"Several constitutional complications are involved in it. All aspects need to be considered," Rajeev said. He added that govt's action at the time of the earlier controversy was in compliance with the SC verdict. "It was not a govt order ... The apex court verdict is naturally binding," he said. Asked whether govt would support or seek a modification of the practice, Rajeeve said faith and social reform must go together and that this was govt's stand in its affidavit before the court.
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