Supreme Court Refers 'Sabarimala Temple Issue' to a Larger Bench

Guwahati, November 14, 2019:

The Supreme Court on Thursday referred Sabarimala issue to a larger bench of seven-members, after hearing the petition seeking review of its 2018 judgment allowing entry of women in the temple. However, no stay on women entering the shrine has been ordered so far.

In September 2018, the Supreme Court held that a centuries-old ban on women and girls, aged 10 to 50, was illegal and constitutional.

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As many as 65 petitions, including 56 review petitions were taken into account to give the judgment today.

The decision to send the case to a bigger bench was a 3:2 majority ruling as Justices RF Nariman and DY Chandrachud dissented.

The bench in its judgment said petitions had “sought to revive the debate about what's the religion and essential religious practices”. “Individual right to pray at the temple cannot be superior to what is considered as religious by another sect is what petitions have argued,” the court said.

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The last year’s verdict led to a massive protest across the state and protesters thwarted most attempts by women to travel to the Sabarimala temple.

However, in January 2019, two women, Kanakadurga and Bindu, made history by entering the temple.

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