PIL filed seeking entry of women in all places of worship: Delhi High Court

New Delhi: After Supreme Court’s landmark judgement on Sabarimala which allowed women below 55 years to enter the hill shrine, a PIL has been filed before Delhi High Court seeking orders to allow women of all ages to enter all temples, mosques, churches and pray along with men. The plea also calls for opening up of ‘women only’ Attukal temple and Kamakhya temple for entry of men.

The plea also says women should not be barred from being ordained as priests in temples, churches should be allowed to lead prayers in mosques, ANI reported. The move comes after a Hindu group recently filed a PIL in the Kerala High Court seeking directive to the Centre for issuing an order enabling Muslim woman to enter mosques for offering prayers.  

According to the petitioner in light of the recent Supreme Court order on Sabarimala which allowed entry of women of all age groups into the shrine, the petitioner demanded the entry of Muslim women devotees in mosques for prayers along with men.

According to the PIL filed, Muslim women have been facing discriminating as they are not allowed to enter and pray in mosques in the main prayer hall. The petition was filed by Swamy Dethathreya Sai Swaroop Nath, who is the state president of Akhila Bharatha Hindu Maha Sabha, Kerala unit.

However, a division bench led by Chief Justice Rishikesh Roy and Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar rejected the plea categorically and observed that the petitioner was neither an aggrieved party nor his rights were affected in many ways.
On Tuesday, the state BJP observed a state-wide protest against the Kerala police highhandedness on devotees who were “roughed-up” in and around the Sabarimala temple town last week when they prevented the entry of woman devotees in the age group of 10-50 to enter the temple.