Kerala Govt Calls All-Party Meet To Discuss Sabarimala Issue

The Opposition parties and stakeholders in Kerala’s Sabarimala temple on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to hear review petitions against its judgment and demanded that women in the 10-50 age group should not be allowed inside the temple during the Mandala Makaravillakku pilgrim season, starting November 17. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, however, said that the state government would take a final call on the issue after consulting legal experts as the apex court had not stayed its September 28 decision. The LDF government, which has been tasked with implementing the directions of the apex court on the entry of women of all ages at the temple, has also called an all-party meeting on Thursday. After holding a meeting to review the facilities at the temple ahead of the upcoming pilgrim season on Tuesday, Vijayan said the verdict of the SC Constitutional bench “still remains in force”. “The court has not stayed its earlier verdict. The court has stated that all review petitions would be heard on January 22. That means, it (hearing of review petitions) would happen only after the Sabarimala pilgrim season ends on January 20. The court hasn’t stayed the earlier order. We have to look into its legal aspects,” the Chief Minister said.