The top court of India, SC on Tuesday gave an nod to hear a petition asking permission for Muslim women to enter mosques. A bench headed by Justice S A Bobde issued notice to the Centre to respond to the plea.
The petition was filed by a Pune-based couple.
“The only reason we may hear you is because of our judgement in the Sabarimala temple case,” said the bench.
Adding a background, on September 28 last year, a five-judge constitution bench lead by Dipak Misra – then Chief Justice — in its verdict permitted entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The court said the ban accounted to gender discrimination.
The couple who filed the petition sought the apex court’s direction to declare as “unconstitutional” the practice of prohibiting women to offer prayers into mosques.
The petitioners said that as per constitutional provision there should not be any discrimination against any citizen of the country on the ground of religion, race, caste, sex and place of birth. It’s a matter to dignity and equality.
It is to be noted that Muslim women were allowed to enter a mosque at the holy Mecca and also in Canada.