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SC asks Kerala govt to frame exclusive law for Sabarimala

Nov 20, 2019 14:51 IST

The Supreme Court has asked the Kerala government to frame a separate law for the Sabarimala Temple and has set a deadline of January 2020 for it to present it to court. The top court was hearing a petition filed by the Pandalam royal family, which has a stake in the running of the hilltop shrine, to protect their rights. The issue came up when the Supreme Court took exception to the Kerala government’s attempt to change laws dealing with the administration of Sabarimala and other temples. On provision of 1/3rd quota for women in the Temple Advisory Committee, the SC asked how can there be women in the panel when a 7-judge Bench is yet to examine the issue of religious practices. In reply, the Kerala government told the SC that involving women in temples' administration was part of its liberal push. Last week, the Supreme Court referred the Sabarimala issue to a larger bench to re-examine religious issues.