New Delhi, Apr 07: A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday began hearing petitions concerning alleged discrimination against women at religious places, including the Sabarimala Temple, and the broader scope of religious freedom across faiths.
The Constitution bench is headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and includes Justices B V Nagarathna, M M Sundresh, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, Augustine George Masih, Prasanna B Varale, R Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi.
Ahead of the hearing, the Centre submitted written arguments urging the court to uphold restrictions on the entry of women of menstruating age into Sabarimala, stating that the matter falls within religious faith and denominational autonomy and is beyond judicial review.
In 2018, a five-judge bench had struck down the ban on entry of women aged 10 to 50 at Sabarimala, declaring the practice unconstitutional. However, in 2019, another bench referred the issue—along with similar matters involving entry of women into mosques, dargahs and Parsi religious places—to a larger bench for a comprehensive examination.
The court is now considering key constitutional questions related to the extent of religious freedom under Articles 25 and 26, the balance between individual rights and denominational rights, and the scope of judicial review in matters of faith.
The hearing, which began on April 7, is expected to continue till April 22. (Agency)
