Former TDB prez flays govt stand on entry of women in

Flaying the Kerala government's stand in the Supreme Court, favouring entry of women of a particular age group in Sabarimala temple,a former TDB president said the ruling LDF had moved away from its duty of protecting the customs and traditions of places of worship.

"It is the duty of a government to protect the customs and tradition of the places of worship. But the LDF government has moved away from this principle", alleged Prayar Gopalakrishnan, a Congress leader who headed the Travancore Devaswom Board during the previous UDF rule.

The TDB, an autonomous body, administers 1,248 temples, including the one in Sabarimala, in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore.

The Kerala government, which has been changing its stand on the contentious issue of women of a particular age group entering the Sabarimala temple, today told the Supreme Court that it now favours their entry.

Gopalakrishnan said the state government should file a curative petition if the Supreme Court takes a decision, allowing entry of women in the Sabarimala temple.

He said the then Board headed by him had opposed introducing any system violating the custom of the shrine.

He said women in the menstruating age group of 10-50 are restricted from offering prayers at Sabarimala because the presiding deity Lord Ayyappa is considered to be a 'naishtika brahmachari' (perennial celibate).

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, hearing a petition challenging the decision of the Board banning entry of women of the age group 10-50 years, today said the fundamental right of freedom to practice religion is provided to "all persons" by the Constitution and women have the right to enter and pray like men at the Sabrimala temple.