Kerala CM on Sabarimala verdict: 'The government's stand has been clear about it'

A 5-member Constitution bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Nariman, Justice Khanwilkar, Justice Chandrachud, and Justice Malhotra on November 14, referred the Sabarimala review pleas to a 7-member larger bench by a 3:2 verdict. Justice Chandrachud and Justice Nariman have dissented from the majority judgment. Commenting on the verdict, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that "The government stand has been clear about it." The LDF is in support of the Supreme Court's verdict. 

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'We had to fight legally and socially'

Vijayan further stated, "We had to fight legally and socially. Now ultimately the judgement says... It covers the entire Bharat. It can go in a deep issue of other religion. We will follow the court's judgement is and will not go against it." Further commenting on the previous verdict wherein on September 28, 2018, the SC lifted the ban on entry of women belonging to all age groups in the Sabarimala temple., "The earlier judgement was an error," Vijayan stated. CM Vijayan commenting on whether women of all ages will be allowed to enter the temple stated, "The five-judge bench has discussed it and they want the larger bench to discuss it. We still need to discuss the judgement whether the women can enter the Sabrimala or not."

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The Supreme Court's verdict 

A 5-member Constitution bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Nariman, Justice Khanwilkar, Justice Chandrachud, and Justice Malhotra on Thursday referred the Sabarimala review pleas to a 7-member larger bench by a 3:2 verdict. Justice Chandrachud and Justice Nariman have dissented from the majority judgment. Furthermore, while delivering its verdict, the apex court clubbed the entry of women in mosques and the tower of silence, the legality of female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra community along with the Sabarimala issue. However, in light of no contrary orders from the Supreme Court, the petitions have been kept pending and there will not be a stay on the earlier judgment which allowed the entry of women between the age group of 10 to 50 years in Sabarimala temple, Kerala.

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Review petition

On September 28, 2018, the SC lifted the ban on entry of women belonging to all age groups in the Sabarimala temple. This sparked off huge protests across Kerala. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) which manages the shrine, argued that the SC could not interfere with a century-old belief. The ban on entry of women has been justified on the grounds that Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity is celibate. On the other hand, the government of Kerala supported the verdict maintaining that religious practices that clashed with fundamental rights could be set aside. After hearing the review petition filed by the TDB, Pandalam Royal Family and a group of devotees, the Constitution bench had reserved its verdict on February 5.

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