New Delhi: The five-judge bench of the Supreme Court will today start hearing petitions challenging its verdict that opened the doors of Sabarimala temple to women, which triggered protests in Kerala.
The Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi will head the constitution bench which will hear the case which was scheduled for hearing on January 22 but was postponed as Justice Indu Malhotra was on medical leave.
Last year, the court’s order sparked major protests by devotees of Lord Ayyappa against the entry of women and girls between the age of 10 and 50 years.
However, two women eventually managed to enter the temple in January and one of them was attacked allegedly by her mother-in-law.
On Monday, CPI(M)-led Kerala government retracted from its earlier statement that 51 women had entered the temple saying it has proof to show only two women actually entered the shrine.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s determination to facilitate women’s entry triggered political protest but he said he is only following Supreme Court’s order.
