India
Sabarimala executive officer D Sudheesh Kumar said that the situation in Sabarimala is not calm yet. Meanwhile, Kanakadurga and Bindu, who entered the Sabarimala shrine on January 2, told the Supreme Court on Wednesday about their resolve to enter the temple again on February 12.
Pathanamthitta: Police chief T Narayanan of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala has announced that there would be strict restrictions during the opening of Sabarimala for Kumba puja. The temple doors will be opened from February 12 to 17.
Restrictions will be imposed from Nilakkal to Sannidhanam and the arrangement is to ensure hassle-free darshan for devotees.
Meanwhile, Sabarimala executive officer D Sudheesh Kumar said that the situation in Sabarimala is not calm yet. “What exists now is similar to the situation that existed when the temple opened for Thulam puja. Again, there could be protests during Kumba puja,” he said to the media.
Meanwhile, Kanakadurga and Bindu, who entered the Sabarimala shrine on January 2, told the Supreme Court on Wednesday about their resolve to enter the temple again on February 12.
"They are facing social exclusion as well as social boycott for just entering the temple as allowed by the Supreme Court in its verdict," senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for the women, told a five-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
The bench reserved its verdict on the Sabarimala review petition hearing on Wednesday. Sabarimala has been a talking point across the nation with state-wide hartals and numerous clashes that took place after the women entered the shrine.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved the judgment over 65 petitions regarding the review of the Sabarimala verdict.
The petitioners have also said that the verdict has "legal errors" and the assumption of the temple practice being based on notions of menstrual impurity is "factually erroneous".
While many petitioners claimed that the verdict is wrong, the state government and the Devaswom Board strongly opposed the review pleas.
Advocate K Parasaran argued that the court passed the order without considering many constitutional matters and is literally wrong. The lawyer, who appeared for the thantri, opined that if women entry is permitted, then the deity will lose its celibacy.
In the meantime, the court had to intervene when a dispute broke out between the lawyers and threatened to stop the court proceedings. The court criticised the lawyers when they requested repeatedly to hear their arguments.
Another senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, also appearing for the Kerala government, said a case cannot be allowed to be reopened by way of a review petition.
The state government said there is a distinction between the essential practice of a temple and the essential practice of the religion. If this essential practice test is applied temple wise then the purpose would be defeated, it said.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Travancore Devaswom Board's ex-chairperson, favoured submissions seeking review of the judgment.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.