Overview
- Kerala filed a fresh 17-page affidavit asking that any decision on whether the Sabarimala ban is an essential religious practice be taken only after consulting eminent religious scholars and respected social reformers.
- The submission stresses deference to religious doctrines and community belief, proposes that the court assess expert opinions as an impartial authority, and says practices deemed pernicious or against public policy need not be protected.
- The CPI(M) state secretariat directed the government to avoid hurting devotees’ sentiments, as ministers argue the stance reflects a 2007 request for an expert panel rather than a new position.
- The Travancore Devaswom Board resolved on March 2 to oppose the 2018 verdict permitting entry of women of menstruating age and to seek preservation of the shrine’s customs.
- Opposition parties call the shift an election-driven U-turn and seek apologies or withdrawal of 2018 protest cases, while the Supreme Court has sought written positions by March 14 and will begin a nine-judge Bench hearing on April 7.