Don’t criticise court if order is adverse: RSS to cadre

Ahead of the Supreme Court verdict on a review petition in Sabarimala case expected on Thursday, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has asked its cadre not to criticise the court in case of an adverse order, even as it is hopeful that the court will rule in favour of faith, just as it did in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit in Ayodhya.

The court is expected to rule on a plea that appealed against its 2018 decision to allow women of menstruating age into Sabarimala temple in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala.

“We are hopeful that the SC will review its decision because devotees have come out in large numbers to assert their rights. These included a huge number of young women. Like Ayodhya, Sabarimala is also a matter of faith,” senior RSS leader J. Nandakumar told ET.


He said that in this matter there will be no dilution of the Sangh’s position that “only stakeholders have the right to decide on matters of faith”. Last week, as soon as the Ayodhya verdict came out on Saturday, a panel of RSS members began preparing feedback reports on reactions that came from the ground and social media. “The first two days were okay, but then we felt a section of people started questioning the judgement. We don’t want this at all,” a senior RSS functionary said on condition of anonymity.

The criticism of the judgement, and thereby the judiciary, by some sections, according to the feedback collected by the RSS, was so strong that it was also proposed in a recent meeting to initiate legal proceedings against some of the writers.