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SC to give verdict on Sabarimala decision review on Thursday

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will pronounce on Thursday its verdict on pleas seeking re-examination of its decision to allow entry of women of all age group to Kerala’s Sabarimala Temple.

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New Delhi, November 13

The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce on Thursday its verdict on a batch of petitions seeking re-examination of its decision to allow entry of women of all age group to Kerala’s Sabarimala Temple.

The apex court will deliver its judgment on as many as 65 petitions--including 56 review petitions and four fresh writ petitions and five transfer pleas--which were filed after its verdict sparked violent protests in Kerala.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had reserved its decision on February 6 after hearing various parties, including those seeking re-consideration of the September 28, 2018 judgment.

Other members of the bench are Justices RF Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra.

The apex court, by a majority verdict of 4:1, on September 38, 2018, had lifted the ban that prevented women and girls between the age of 10 and 50 from entering the famous Ayyappa shrine in Kerala and had held that this centuries-old Hindu religious practice was illegal and unconstitutional.

The five-judge constitution bench had heard the pleas in an open court and reserved its decision after hearing the parties, including Nair Service Society, Thantry of the temple, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and the state government, in favour and against the review plea.

Anxiety grips Kerala

The state has increased its security in anticipation of the verdict on Thursday as well as the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage. The portals of the hill shrine, located in a reserve forest in Western Ghats in Pathanamthitta district of the state, would be opened for the two-month-long Mandalam Makaravilakku season on November 16 evening.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had review preparations for Sabarimala’s annual pilgrimage on Saturday.

DGP Loknath Behara has said there will be tight security during the pilgrimage season.

Over 10,000 police personnel will be deployed in phases in and around the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple during the two-month long pilgrimage season.

The state BJP said on Wednesday that it hoped that the verdict would be in favour of the devotees. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the autonomous temple body that manages the shrine, appealed to everyone to accept the judgment whatever it may.

The apex court had lifted the ban that prevented women and girls between the age of 10 and 50 from entering the Ayyappa shrine on September 28, 2018, and held that this centuries-old Hindu religious practice was illegal and unconstitutional.

The opposition Congress party and the influential Nair Service Society (NSS),an outfit of the forward Nair community, had also vehemently objected to the Left government’s decision to go ahead and implement the verdict.

BJP state general secretary MT Ramesh said if the verdict went against devotees, the party would seek constitutional means to address the concerns of devotees.

“We hope that the verdict on the review petitions will be in favour of devotees. The stand adopted by the state government was the reason for the earlier judgment that came out against the sentiments of devotees,” he told reporters.

A Padmakuamr, the outgoing president of TDB, said the verdict should be accepted with self-restraint and peace.

“The Board’s request to everyone is that we should accept the verdict whatever it may be. We hope that the state government will act in accordance with the verdict,” he told TV channels. Agencies

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