The Bombay High Court on February 3 had asked the state government to express its opinion on the PIL challenging the decision of Haji Ali Trust to ban the entry of women in the sanctum sanctorum of the historic durgah. The Maharashtra government has replied to the court on Tuesday, indicating that it supports the entry of women into the restricted area of Haji Ali Dargah.
Reserving its judgement on the ban of entry of women into the sanctum sanctorum, the Bombay High Court asked all the parties to submit their arguments in writing in two weeks.
The division bench of Justice VM Kanade and Justice Revati Mohite Dere made the observation after hearing the arguments of the parties concerned.
The Durgah Board said that the sanctum sanctorum of the dargah houses the grave of a male saint and in Islam it is sin for women to touch male saints, hence women are barred from touching the tomb.
Petitioner Raju More, however, contended that as per Haji Ali’s website, no one is buried inside the tomb, hence, it is not a graveyard of a saint.
I also gave the court a print out of what is officially mentioned on the Haji Ali’s website in support of my argument.Raju More, Petitioner
The State Advocate General, on the other hand, said unless the Durgah Board is able to prove that ban is part of their religious practice with reference to Quran, women should be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali.
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