Supreme Court of India Hears Sabarimala Temple Entry Case

The India===Supreme Court of India's nine-judge Constitution Bench is currently hearing petitions concerning discrimination against women at religious places, primarily focusing on the Sabarimala Temple in India===Kerala. The Centre, represented by Tushar Mehta, is advocating for upholding traditional restrictions, arguing that the issue falls within religious faith and denominational autonomy, and strongly objects to comparing the ban to 'untouchability'. Justice B. V. Nagarathna has questioned the logic of treating women as 'untouchable' for three days a month and expressed concerns that restricting temple entry based on sect could negatively impact Hinduism. The bench is revisiting a 2018 verdict that lifted the ban on women of menstruating age from entering the Sabarimala Temple, and a subsequent 2019 referral to a larger bench by then-CJI Ranjan Gogoi. The hearings are exploring the ambit of religious freedom and gender equality across various faiths in India.