Kerala govt softens stance on Sabarimala women entry issue; Congress, BJP slam U-turn

With just days left for Assembly elections, the Kerala government has softened its stance on allowing women of all age groups to enter the Sabarimala temple.

In its latest affidavit before the Supreme Court, the Left Front government said that the court must decide on the matter only after assessing the opinions of social reformers, legal experts and religious scholars. It has also urged the Supreme Court to consider the feedback received from devotees, especially women worshippers.

Earlier, the Left Front government had supported the entry of women of all age groups into the prominent temple in Kerala.

Traditionally, females aged between 10 and 50 were barred from entering the temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. Only girls who had not hit puberty and women above the age of 50 were allowed entry into the temple.

A nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, will commence the hearing on April 7. The apex court will review the 2018 verdict that had lifted the prohibition on women between the ages of 10 and 50 years from entering the temple.

Meanwhile, the Congress-led Opposition has slammed the Left Front government for taking a U-turn on the matter. Speaking to ANI, Congress MP K Suresh claimed that the Pinarayi Vijayan government has softened its stance due to the upcoming Assembly elections.

"Hindu organisations protested when the Left Front government implemented the Supreme Court judgement in 2018. In the 2019 elections, the LDF lost 19 out of the 20 seats. The Left Front government has made this U-turn to appease voters. After the elections, the alliance may change its stance once again," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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