SC declines early hearing of Sabarimala review plea

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused an urgent hearing on a plea seeking review of its verdict allowing entry to women of all age groups into the Sabarimala Temple.

The three-judge SC bench, comprising chief justice Ranjan Gogoi, justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph, considered the submission of Shylaja Vijayan, the president of National Ayyappa Devotees Association, and said the review will be listed in “due course.”

The association was not a party in the original case that was decided by the apex court on September 28.

Citing that the temple would open on October 16, the lawyer appearing for the association sought a stay on the verdict, but the bench refused saying that the review petition is likely to be heard after the Dussehra break, which means it will be listed for consideration only after two weeks. According to the Supreme Court rules, a review petition is heard in chambers and not in the open.

Besides the association’s plea, four more petitions were filed before the court seeking a review of the September 28 judgement. All four petitioners argued that faith cannot be judged by scientific or rationale reasons, or logic.

Meanwhile, the ruling CPI(M) launched vishidhikarnam (explanatory) meetings in Kerala to clear the air on the government’s stand on the issue and explain the steps taken by it to implement the Supreme Court verdict. The first meeting was inaugurated at Pandalam in Pathnamthitta district by CPI(M) central committee member PK Sreemathy, MP. P Sathi Devi, leader of the Janadhipatiya Mahila Association, said the state government is duty-bound to implement the verdict.

Devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran said the government is with the believers and understood their sentiments.

But “we will not allow anyone to unleash violence in the name of devotees,” he said.

Attacking the Congress and the BJP, he said the two parties changed their stance on the issue only with an eye on the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP should take out a “long march” to Parliament in New Delhi and not to Thiruvananthapuram, he said.

At Erumeli, Independent MLA PC George began a fast on Tuesday protesting the verdict.

In Thiruvananthapuram, believers, including women, took out a march to the Raj Bhavan asking the state government to put pressure on the centre to bring in a law to bar women between 10 and 50 years enter the temple.