Sabarimala hearing: Brahmin Federation challenges "non-believer" Ministers in Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: The Kerala Brahmin Federation has approached the Supreme Court challenging the State Government's actions regarding the Sabarimala women’s entry controversy. Advocate M.R. Abhilash, representing the Federation, argued before the court that state governments do not have the authority to alter existing religious customs. He further urged the court to prevent individuals who do not believe in God—specifically referring to the Devaswom Minister—from standing before the sanctum sanctorum (Sreekovil) while failing to observe traditional rituals.

The Federation contended that when non-believers hold positions of power, they may exploit their governmental authority to violate the established traditions of Sabarimala. They requested the court to issue guidelines to prevent such occurrences and emphasised that the customs of all temples must be respected.

Meanwhile, during the hearing on the Sabarimala women’s entry case, the Supreme Court issued a stern warning to Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who is also a BJP leader. The court cautioned him not to stray beyond the specific issues it had framed for the hearing. The bench noted that arguments must be confined to the seven questions previously formulated by the court. The warning was prompted by Upadhyay's attempt to argue that India had been "divided into seven countries over the last 200 years."