The Supreme Court will give its verdict on Thursday on the petitions filed to reconsider the Supreme Court's decision to allow women of all age groups to enter the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. A five-member constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi will give its verdict on a total of 65 petitions, including 56 reconsideration petitions, following violent protests following the September 28, 2018 verdict. The constitution bench had completed the hearing on these petitions on February 6 this year and said that a decision on these would be given later.
The members of the Constitution Bench hearing these petitions include Justice RF Nariman, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice Dhananjay Y Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra. On September 28, 2018, a Constitution Bench headed by the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra ruled by a majority of 4: 1, terming the system of prohibition of entry of women between the ages of 10 and 50 into the Sabarimala temple as unconstitutional and sexually biased. Was told The only woman member of this bench, Justice Indu Malhotra, gave the verdict of minority.
The petitions filed by the Constitution Bench were heard in open court after widespread violent protests in Kerala over this decision. Among those who filed the petition were the Nair Service Society, Temple Tantri, Travancore Devaswom Board and the state government. The Travancore Devaswom Board, which oversees the arrangement of the Sabarimala temple, overturned its stand and supported the court's system of allowing women of all ages to enter the temple. The board, along with the Kerala government, opposed the Constitution Bench's reconsideration of the decision.
The board later clarified that the change in its outlook has not come due to any political pressure. Some right-wing activists alleged that the board changed its stand in the court under pressure from the ruling Left Front government in Kerala. The Kerala government has also requested to reject the reconsideration petitions on this issue. The Kerala government had taken a contradictory stand in the matter of women's entry.
