Kerala Govt To Take a Stand on Sabarimala Women Entry Issue After Examining All Sides: Law Minister

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Law Minister P Rajeev on Monday said the LDF government would formulate its position on the issue of allowing women of menstruating age to enter Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, after examining all sides, including religious practices and constitutional issues, ahead of the Supreme Court hearing review petitions related to the case in April 2026.

The state government is dealing with the issue cautiously in the wake of the Congress and the BJP, alleging that the government had betrayed Ayyappa devotees by declining to withdraw its earlier affidavit in the Supreme Court, which favoured women's entry into the Sabarimala temple. As per the traditions, the Sabarimala temple is out of bounds for women between the ages of 10 and 50.

On September 28, 2018 a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court delivered its verdict in the Sabarimala temple entry case. The majority of the judges held that the temple's practices of excluding women is unconstitutional. It held that the practice violated the fundamental right to freedom of religion of female worshippers. However, the apex court later referred the matter to nine judge bench for review.

At the press conference on Monday, Minister Rajeev declined to state whether the state government had changed its stand on women's entry.

He cited the 2007 affidavit filed during V S Achuthanandna government’s tenure.

"The government stated that non-entry of menstruating women was a long-held tradition and had proposed the setting up of a commission made up of Hindu scholars and social reformers with impeccable integrity to stdy the issue," the minister said.

However, instead of Commission, the apex court appointed an amicus curiae and eventually issued an order allowing the entry of women.

“We all know the Supreme Court order is binding and that's why the government tried to implement the verdict," he said.

The minister said when the court decided for a judicial review, the state government did not implement the earlier order, taking a stand that technically there was no stay on the earlier order.

In 2016, during Oommen Chandy's tenure the 2007 affidavit was revised to state that menstruating women will not be allowed entry.

However, in 2016, the Pinarayi Vijayan government went back to 2007 affidavit stating that no law prevented the entry of women in Sabarimala temple.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Supreme Court has directed parties, including the Kerala government to file their written submissions on or before March 14, 2026.

Opposition Leader V D Satheeshan has asked the government to declare that it would alter its affidavit and state categorically that menstruating women would not be allowed entry into the temple. "It takes only ten minutes to revise and submit an affidavit," he said.

BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the government is confused and is not coming out with a clear stand. The government, which organised the Sabarimala Ayyappa devotees conclave, has betrayed them.

Two major organisations representing the Ezhava and Nair community, the SNDP and NSS, respectively, have urged the state government to alter its earlier affidavit allowing entry of women of all ages into the temple.

SNDP general secretary Vellapally Natesan said his organisation was against the entry of menstruating women and the temple tradition should be upheld.

NSS General Secretary Sukumaran Nair has repeatedly urged the state government to oppose the entry of all women, regardless of age, in the Supreme Court.

NSS has demanded that the state government and the Devaswom Board should change their previous stance on allowing women to enter Sabarimala.

The issue should not be mixed up with the upcoming assembly elections, he said.