NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will take up review petitions, filed against its September 28 verdict that allows women of all ages to enter Sabarimala temples, around 10:30 am today (Wednesday).There is no much precedence for the review of a Constitution bench order though there were instances of the apex court reviewing its own verdict as guaranteed by Article 137 of the Constitution.

1) Except Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Indu Malhotra, all the other three judges in the bench were of the opinion that barring women of menstrual age in Sabarimala was violation of gender equality. So it remains to be seen whether the three judges would be ready for the review.

2. The Supreme Court decision to take up the review pleas in an open court itself as seen as a rare decision. The BJP seems to be in a win-win situation. A verdict in favour of the devotees will give a morale booster for the saffron. The Congress, too, will try to turn the situation against the ruling Left party.

3. If the judges in the five-member bench find merits in the review petition, the case would be transd to a seven- or nine-judge bench. In such a scenario, the hearing in the case will hearing would have to start afresh.

Rejection of review pleas will be a shot in the arm for the Union government, which may think of bringing an Ordinance to overrule the Supreme Court order.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, during their recent visits to the state, had taken exception to the court order and maintained that their party stood by the tradition and devotees.

A rejection of the review pleas would lead to another string of protests under Sabarimala Karma Samiti, Hindu Organisations, NSS and Sangh Parivar, which is spearheading the campaign to protect tradition, insisting that it would continue the protests.
The temple will again open for a five-day monthly poojas on February 13.