The Madras High Court adjourned a PIL seeking to declare a rule of Tamil Nadu’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department preventing women from entering temples during a particular period as null, by two months.
A division bench, comprising Justices T S Sivagnanam and Pushpa Sathyanarayana said:
It is to be pointed out that a larger issue as regards restricting of entry of women into the temple is now under consideration of the honourable Supreme Court. Therefore, we do not propose to take any decision in this matter nor even order notice to the authorities. Hence, the matter is adjourned by two months.
The rule prohibits women from entering temples “at such times during which they are not, by custom and usage, allowed to enter.”
Alleging discrimination between men and women, the petitioner S Aarthy said there are hundreds of temples in Tamil Nadu and the HR&CE controls entry to them.
Aarthy said that no rules, statutory or otherwise, can prescribe any condition on women relating to a particular point of time during which they can be prohibited from entering a temple and worship.
S Aarthy, petitionerThe expression ‘at such times’ used in the rule is vague and not explained anywhere.
The petitioner then sought a direction from the Court to declare Rule 3(C) of the Rules under Tamil Nadu Temple Entry Authorization Act 1947, unconstitutional, null and void.
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