No urgent hearing on Sabarimala: SC

The SC on Tuesday declined an urgent hearing on a plea seeking review of its verdict allowing women of all ages entry into the Sabarimala temple.

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.

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.