Hindu Makkal Katchi upset, DMK hails Sabarimala verdict of Supreme Court

“The Supreme Court’s verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple proves that men and women are equal; it is a historic judgment,” DMK president MK Stalin tweeted. “This judgement is a milestone in the journey towards lofty ideals of social justice, gender equality and women emancipation,” he said. DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi also hailed the verdict. “This is a historic judgment. And specially for all those believers who think that god created human beings & created them equally. Hope Parliament and legislative assemblies also follow this path & allow women in equal numbers,” she tweeted.

The verdict was also welcomed by the DMK’s parent organisation and rationalist outfit Dravidar Kazhagam.

Chief of Hindu Makkal Katchi Arjun Sampath dubbed the judgment a “big shock” for all devotees of Lord Ayyappa. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring a Bill in Parliament to ensure “status quo at the Sabarimala temple...to allow men alone in the temple”. “After the Shah Bano case verdict by the Supreme Court, Parliament enacted the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, in deference to demands from Muslim leaders,” he said.

Referring to the dissenting verdict of Justice Indu Malhotra, Sampath said it is not for courts to decide whether a particular religious practice should be followed. “Lord Ayyappa alone can decide such matters. If needed, his will can be ascertained by holding ‘devaprasnnam’ (a ritual conducted to seek God’s view),” he said.