SC VERDICT ON SABARIMALA CASE AND CONTEMPT PLEA AGAINST RAHUL TODAY

With just 3 days left for pilgrim season to kick in, political parties, social groups await top court order

can be disclosed, not the reasons. Transparency and openness in judicial appointments juxtaposed with confidentiality of deliberations remain one of the most delicate and complex areas.

Besides CJI Gogoi, other judges on the bench included Justice N.V. Ramana, Justice D.Y.

Chandrachud, Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjeev Khanna.

While the Chief Justice and Justices Gupta and Khanna wrote one judgment, Justices Ramana and Chandrachud have written separate verdicts.

With the Supreme Court set to pronounce its judgment in the review petition filed by the Tanthri (head priest) of Sabarimala and others seeking a review of the September 28, 2018 historic judgment allowing entry of women of menstruating age to the hill temple on Thursday, the state is awaiting the verdict with great anticipation.

The government has made it clear that whatever may be the verdict of the Supreme Court, it will abide by the judgment and implement it.

Earlier this month, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reiterated in the Assembly that the government was constitutionally bound to implement the Supreme Court verdict. He clarified that since it was not possible for the state government to bring any legislation to circumvent the Supreme Court verdict, all sections should wait for the outcome of review petition.

With just three days left for Mandala Makaravilakku pilgrim season, the ruling and opposition parties, socio, religious organisations and devotees at large are keeping their fingers crossed over the SC verdict.

The apex court verdict allowing women of all ages to the temple had triggered a major upheaval in the state.

While the government went ahead with the decision to implement the verdict, the opposition parties, including UDF and BJP, came out on the streets along with community organisations like NSS to oppose the entry of menstruating women to the temple.