When the chief minister met the tantri’s family and Panthalam royal family representatives, he had put forward the suggestion to reserve two days for women at Sabarimala. However, the representatives strongly opposed this
Thiruvananthapuram: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is under pressure from the Kerala government to support its stand of reserving two days exclusively for women at the Sabarimala temple.
In their PIL, the four women, in their 20s and 30s, suggested devoting two to three days exclusively to women of all ages "who are desirous to go to Sabarimala after ridding the shrine, its premises and nearby towns from the goons and henchmen" opposing entry of women of menstrual age into the shrine.
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The petition, filed by Reshma Nishanth, Shanila Sajeesh, Dhanya and Surya M, came up before a division bench, comprising Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar.
The Kerala government told the High Court on Friday that two days could be reserved exclusively for the entry of women of menstrual age into the famous shrine.
Reshma, Shanila and Dhanya held a press conference in Kochi and remained adamant, expressing their desire to enter the shrine. The devotees were enraged at this.
The State Attorney Sudhakara Prasad informed the government’s stand to the court while considering a plea filed by several women seeking protection to visit Sabarimala.
The Devaswom Board is expected to submit an affidavit supporting the stand of the government. The board’s president A Padmakumar said that the board need not submit an affidavit immediately, as the court is set to consider the review plea on January 22.
"Devaswom board has not discussed this matter. Therefore, an opinion cannot be said about the government stand. The board sought more time in the Supreme Court to settle the present issue. When the chief minister met the tantri’s family and Panthalam royal family representatives, he had put forward this suggestion. However, the representatives strongly opposed this," said Padmakumar.
With inputs from PTI
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