A PIL challenging the traditional ban on entry of women aged between 10-50 years into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala will now be heard by a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court. A directive in this regard came on Friday from a Bench comprising Justices S B Sinha and V S Sirpurkar contending that it raised a significant constitutional question, involving rights of equality to women. The Judges also took an exception to the changing stands of the Kerala Government. Earlier, while responding to the notice of the Supreme Court, the state had submitted, “It is not fair to deny a section of women from entering Sabrimala temple. The denial of entry to women of a particular age group surely affects public right and it is a matter of public interest.” But in the High Court, the state had favoured such a restriction. After the Bench took note of the changing stand, Government counsel justified it, saying it was necessitated by the changing times and scenario.The PIL was filed by Indian Young Lawyers’ Association, a women’s organisation which contended that barring women from entering the temple amounted to violation of women’s fundamental rights and the restrictions should be quashed.
