Sabarimala: SC to decide hearing of review petitions tomorrow

The Supreme Court will decide on Tuesday when to hear the review petitions against its Sabarimala judgment that allowed entry of women in the menstrual age to the temple. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S.K. Kaul said the court is aware of the 19 petitions submitted seeking review of the judgment and will decide on the listing on Tuesday.

The bench considered the submissions of lawyer Mathews J. Nedumpara that his petition seeking review of the constitutional bench judgment be listed for urgent hearing. Nedumpara was mentioning the petition filed by National Ayyappa Devotees Association.

While the identities of all the 19 petitioners are yet to be ascertained, it was earlier reported that the Nair Service Society (NSS) submitted a review petition in the Supreme Court on October 8, soon after the landmark verdict. It stated that the Supreme Court wrongly concluded that exclusion of women between the age of 10 and 50 was discriminatory and erred in allowing women of all age groups into the Sabarimala temple. "The majority judgment suffers from several serious errors apparent on the face of the judgment and records and as such requires to be interfered with and is liable to be set aside after hearing the parties,” read the petition.

A five-judge constitution bench by a ratio of 4:1 on September 28 had held that women of all age groups should be allowed entry in Kerala's Sabarimala temple. The Sabarimala temple premises have been on the edge ever since it opened for monthly rituals on Wednesday. The temple will close on Monday after five-day monthly poojas. Protesters, claiming to be Ayyappa devotees, were stationed en route Sabarimala and even clashed with police. Meanwhile, Pathanamthitta district authorities had to impose Section 144 at Ilavunkal, Nilakkal, Pamba and Sannidhanam on Thursday in the wake of intensifying protests. 

The protesters preventing women devotees from entering Sabarimala temple have put the police and the Kerala government in a spot. As many as 12 women in the 10-50 age group have so far been prevented from offering worship at the Sabarimala temple.

Amid mounting protest, the BJP had on Sunday urged the Kerala government to convene a session of the assembly and pass a resolution seeking the centre's intervention to overcome the crisis. BJP state president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai claimed even CPI(M) members in the state were opposing the bid to break the custom of the ancient shrine, which draws lakhs of devotees from across the country, especially from southern states.

A small group of BJP leaders was arrested for violating ban orders in force under Section 144 of the CrPC at Nilakkal, a key entry point to Sabarimala.

Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ramesh Chennithala of Congress urged the Centre to bring an ordinance to overcome the Supreme Court verdict. CPI(M) politburo member S. Ramachandran Pillai claimed the devotees opposing the apex court verdict were in a minority and they did not have the support of the entire Kerala society.

He supported implementation of the court verdict on Sabarimala. Meanwhile, the Sabarimala Karma Samithi intensified its agitation against the CPI(M)-led government's "hasty" move to implement the court order.

Thousands of people participated in the "namajapa yatra" (protest march chanting Ayyappa mantra) to police stations across the southern state against alleged police action on the samithi activists near Sabarimala last week.

Hundreds of women participated in a protest march held in Erumeli, a key pilgrim centre connected with Sabarimala.

State police chief Loknath Behera said the police will conduct a review of the alleged police lapses while handling the issues related to Sabarimala after the doors of the shrine close on Monday.