In U-turn, Sabarimala board supports entry of women
February 06, 2019  14:30
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Just in: In a surprise U-turn, the Travancore Dewasom Board, which runs the Sabarimala temple, says it supports the Supreme Court verdict allowing all women inside the shrine. 


The Kerala government Wednesday vehemently opposed in the Supreme Court a batch of petitions seeking review of the verdict allowing the entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala shrine, even as several organisations argued that the judgement be reconsidered. 


 A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi was told by the counsel for the Kerala government that no ground was made out in any of the petitions seeking review of its September 28, 2018 verdict. Several organisations including the Nair Service Society (NSS) and the Thantri of the shrine, have advanced arguments before the bench and sought reconsideration of the verdict.


Senior Counsel Rakesh Dwivedi arguing for the Travancore Devaswom Board says that any practice which denies an equal right to practice or propagate religion falls foul of Article 25.  


Justice Indu Malhotra observes that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) had in fact argued against the entry of women in the main case.


But Rakesh Dwivedi says the TDB has taken a decision to respect the judgment and not seek a review.  Dwivedi pointed out various questions of law addressed by the 2018 judgment and how each judge addressed them.  "We have to transform society and include women in all walks of life. We should not point out biological attributes to exclude women from any walk of life. Equality runs through the Constitution," Rakesh Dwivedi said.


Image: Women devotees stopped buses carrying other women devotees attempting to enter the Sabarimala shrine after the SC verdict. File pic. 

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