New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday sought the Centre’s response by November 5 on a plea seeking entry of Muslim women in mosques across the country and claiming that such restriction was “unconstitutional” and violative of fundamental rights to life, equality, and gender justice.
A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice SA Bobde and Justice S Abdul Nazeer granting a week more time to the Centre, National Commission for Women (NCW), Central Waqf Council, and All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), posted the matter for hearing on November 5.
Earlier, on April 16 the apex court had admitted the plea of a Pune-based Muslim couple asking to lift the prohibition on entry of Muslim women inside mosques.
It had issued notice to the parties and sought their response. The court had said it will hear the plea only because of its judgment in Sabarimala temple.
On September 28 last year, the Supreme Court had lifted the ban on the entry of women aged between 10 and 50 years into the premises of Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, Kerala.
The petition filed before the top court also sought direction to declare the prohibition on entry of Muslim women into mosques in the country as “illegal and unconstitutional” because it violates the fundamental rights of women.
