Larger SC bench to decide on women in Sabarimala

NEW DELHI: Unable to get a definite stand from the Kerala government and convinced about the importance of the question — should women aged between 10 and 50 years be allowed entry into Sabarimala Temple — SC on Friday felt the issue needed adjudication by a three-judge bench. Responding to the issue raised by a PIL filed by Young Lawyers Association, the LDF government had told the court that though it was against the ban on entry of women in the particular age group into the temple in view of the right to equality guaranteed by the Constitution, it was not for an arbitrary change in the custom that had continued for many years and connected to the beliefs and values of people. The piquancy of the stand as well as the importance of the issue made a bench comprising Justices S B Sinha and V S Sirpurkar refer it to the CJI for constitution of a three-judge bench that could hear arguments on the PIL. The state had earlier said : "All persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the Constitution gives right to worship to everyone equally. Hence it is not fair to deny a section of women from entering Sabarimala Temple."
Times of India;8 Mar 2008,