A view of the Sabarimala temple
Call for statewide shutdown in Kerala on Monday was called off by the state unit of Shiv Sena on Saturday. The shutdown was planned in protest against the Supreme Court verdict of throwing open the Sabarimala temple to all women.
Announcing the call off, party’s state secretary MS Bhuvendran said the party has called off the shutdown announced earlier in the day.
Bhuvendran had earlier alleged that the apex court verdict overlooked the rituals and traditions of the temple, citing that prediction of bad weather was the reason for withdrawing the shutdown call.
The party also felt the shutdown would affect the ongoing flood relief works in the state, he said.
"Monday's statewide shutdown is in protest against the vedict," Bhuvendran had said earlier.
In a related development, the Pandalam royal family, which has an integral role in the affairs of the Sabarimala temple, is learnt to have begun legal consultations to file a review petition against the apex court verdict.
The Pandalam Palace is the custodian of Sabarimala temple jewels.
In a majority 4:1 judgment, the top court also read down the provision of Kerala laws that protected the prohibition and said it could not be covered under practices essential and integral to religious practice.
A dissenting judgement was given by Justice Indu Malhotra, the only woman judge in the five-judge bench.
Subversion of women's rights under the garb of physiological phenomenon cannot be allowed, said Chief Justice Dipak Misra while reading out the judgement.
