Insta
Members of Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam (SASS) take part in a protest against Supreme Court verdict on the entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple (Biplov Bhuyan/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The Tantri family (Head Priests of the Sabarimala) and the rulers associated with Lord Ayyappa temple on Sunday rejected Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s offer for talks over supreme court verdict allowing women of menstruating age to enter the shrine, reported The Hindustan Times.
The government had already taken the decision to implement the SC ruling, and there is no point in having talks, said Kandararu Mohanaru, one of the chief priests of Sabarimala Temple.
“If the government is keen about the talks, let them file a review petition in the supreme court”, urged the chief priest. The Pandalam royal family associated with the temple also rejected the call for talks scheduled on Monday (8 October).
Thousands of devotees had protested against the 4:1 supreme court verdict that abolished the centuries-old tradition of restricting women of menstruating age entering the temple premises.
The priest and the royal family had held that the practice is an essential part of the temple rituals and the deity who is considered to be celibate.
On Saturday (6 October), scion of the Pandalam royal family and the custodian of the temple, Sasikumar Verma, and chief priest Rajeevaru Kandararu participated in a protest rally in Kottayam district.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also expressed his difference of opinion with the court ruling saying “If you want to take a progressive step under article 14 and 21, it will apply uniformly against all religions. It cannot happen that you select practice and apply it because that will have many social consequences in a pluralistic society like India.”
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest