The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined an urgent hearing on the petition seeking a review of its Sabarimala verdict allowing women of all ages to the temple. Shylaja Vijayan, president of the National Ayyappa Devotees Association had submitted a review petition on October 8, which argued that the decision by the five-judge bench to lift the ban was “absolutely untenable and irrational, if not perverse”.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph considered the submission made by Shylaja and said the review petition would be heard in due course, adding that it will be heard inside a chamber and not in open court.
Apart from the National Ayyappa Devotees Association, the Nair Service Society (NSS) and the Delhi-based Chetana Conscience of Women also filed review petitions in the SC on Monday.
The review petition filed by the NSS reportedly stated that “the judgement of the Honourable Supreme Court proceeds on the foundation that the practice is derogatory to women...it is not derogatory since it is not linked to physiological occurrences but due to the character of the deity.” The deity at Sabarimala is considered to be a Naishtika Brahmachari or eternal celibate.
Following the Supreme Court verdict, which lifted the ban on women between the ages 10 and 50 entering the temple, several protests and rallies were carried out across Kerala by both men and women. The ruling CPI(M) and Opposition Congress have agreed to initiate a dialogue with the people concerned before implementing the SC verdict.
A section of the devotees also staged a protest on Saturday in front of the headquarters of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the temple, in Thiruvananthapuram, demanding order be the revoked.
Earlier, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said that the government would comply with the Supreme Court verdict and ensure it is implemented soon.