SC rejects urgent hearing on Sabari

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

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justices S.K. Kaul and K.M. Joseph had considered the submission of Shylaja Vijayan, president, National Ayyappa Devotees Association through lawyer Mathews J. Nedumpara, which contended that the five-judge Constitution bench verdict lifting the ban was “absolutely untenable and irrational”.

“It will be listed in due course,” the bench said, adding that in any case, the review petition will be heard in chamber and not in open court.

The lawyer, appearing for the Devotees Association, also sought a stay on the verdict and said the temple would be opening on October 16 for pilgrimage. The bench, however, said the review petition can only be taken up after the Dasara vacation.

Besides the Association, another petition seeking review of the September 28 verdict of the apex court has also been filed by the Nair Service Society.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, had in its 4:1 verdict, said banning the entry of women into the shrine is gender discrimination and that the practice violates rights of Hindu women.

The review petition filed by Vijayan submitted that, “Faith cannot be judged by scientific or rationale reasons or logic”.

“The notion that the judgement under review is revolutionary, one which removes the stigma or the concept of dirt or pollution associated with menstruation, is unfounded. It is a judgement welcomed by hypocrites who were aspiring for media headlines,” the petition submitted.

The second petition filed by NSS, an organisation for the uplift and welfare of the Nair community, said as the deity is a ‘Naistika Brahmachari’, females before the age of 10 and after the age of 50 years are eligible to worship him and there is no practice of excluding worship by females.