Sabarimala row back in focus as LDF defends 2007 stand, BJP demands apology

The politically sensitive debate over women’s entry into the Sabarimala Temple has resurfaced in Kerala, with the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) insisting that its position on the issue has remained unchanged since 2007 , while the Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded that the state government apologise to devotees over the developments that followed the 2018 Supreme Court verdict .

Kerala Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan said the state government continues to stand by the affidavit it filed before the Supreme Court of India in 2007 . In that submission, the government had argued that the question of allowing women of menstruating age to enter the shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa was closely linked to the temple’s long-standing religious customs and ritual practices . It suggested that any decision on altering such traditions should ideally be taken after consulting experts in temple rituals and scholars familiar with the shrine’s practices.

Responding to questions about a fresh affidavit to be filed before the Supreme Court’s nine-judge Constitution bench , Vasavan clarified that the court has not asked the Kerala government to restate its stand on women’s entry. Instead, it has sought clarification on broader constitutional questions connected with the case. The state’s Advocate General and constitutional experts , he said, would present the government’s response.

The minister also claimed that the legal challenge which eventually resulted in the 2018 judgement allowing women of all ages to enter Sabarimala had been initiated by lawyers associated with the BJP. According to him, the LDF government implemented the verdict as a constitutional obligation , since it was a directive of the apex court. The ruling had triggered widespread protests across Kerala , with many devotees arguing that the decision interfered with centuries-old temple traditions.

Echoing the government’s position, M. A. Baby of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said the LDF government carried out the court’s order in 2018 because it was legally bound to do so , not as a political decision. He also noted that the Supreme Court is currently reviewing its earlier verdict and may consider the views of scholars, social reformers and experts in temple traditions.

The BJP, however, sharply criticised the government’s position. Party state general secretary M. T. Ramesh said the new affidavit shows that the government has effectively admitted its mistake and demanded that it apologise to Ayyappa devotees . He also alleged that over 10,000 cases were registered against people who participated in protests during the 2018 agitation and said those cases should be withdrawn.

With the Supreme Court continuing to hear appeals, the Sabarimala women entry case remains one of the most sensitive debates in Kerala, reflecting the complex intersection of faith, tradition and constitutional law.