No urgent hearing on Sabarimala ruling: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused an early hearing on a plea to review its Sabarimala ruling which allowed women of all ages to enter the Ayyappa temple. Under the temple rules, women between the age of 10 and 50 (in the reproductive phase) were not allowed to enter its premises.

The Nair Service Society and the Ayyappa devotees’ association have challenged the ruling.

On Tuesday, the two outfits tried to raise a plea for an urgent hearing on the issue at the instance of two lawyers — VK Biju and Mathews Nedumbara — but a bench led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi wouldn’t hear it.


The judges said that there was no urgency in the matter. The duo insisted that the issue had agitated the state and people of all religions who were devotees and do not want women to enter the temple. There have been protests in Kerala against the ruling, which included women as well. The lawyers tried to draw the court’s attention to the protest, but to no avail.