Ruling out intervention by Maharashtra government on the issue of entry of women in restricted area of Haji Ali shrine, state Minority Development Minister Arif Nadeem Khan on Thursday said Muslim clerics were entitled to take a decision on it.
The issue is old and the management committee of the shrine can take a decision on it, Khan said in reference to the ongoing controversy of Mumbai's iconic and religious shrine Haji Ali Dargah barring women from entering the sanctum sanctorum housing the tomb of the 15th century Sufi saint.
"It is purely a part of rituals. The muftis and maulanas will take a decision on whether to allow women devotees inside the main area called as 'Mazar-e-Sharif'," Khan told reporters on the sidelines of a programme in suburban Bandra.
He said women have been denied permission in the restricted area only, since it is a old issue. "The management committee can take a decision based on Sharia laws," he added.
