The petition filed by the Indian Young Lawyers Association, which challenged the custom of the temple to bar entry of women in the 10-50 age bracket, will receive it’s verdict today. If, the Supreme Court overrules the Kerala Hight Court’s order, it could have vast implications in Kerala.
Senior Counsel K K Venugopal who appeared for Travancore Devasom Board — that manages the hill shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa — had told the court that the issue was complex and involved substantive interpretation of the Constitution under Article 145(3). Under this provision, the minimum number of judges required for answering a reference is five.
He contended that this would require interpretation of Article 26, which deals with the rights of a religious denomination, and Article 25, that guarantees freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion.
The discrimination, if any, in the shrine was not between men and women but between women and women. He argued that the matter had already been settled by the HC and so the principle of res judicata would apply.
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