Hindu sects must unite and open temple doors for each other: Justice B.V. Nagarathna

Supreme Court News: Justice B.V. Nagarathna, a member of the constitutional bench hearing the constitutional questions arising from the Sabarimala dispute, said that Hindu society must unite. There should be no discrimination in temple worship based on different sects within Hinduism.

Justice Nagarathna said that you cannot say that we are from one sect and they are from another sect, so they cannot come to our temple and we cannot go to their temple. This cannot be the idea of Hindu society. She further said that if one Hindu sect does not open its temple doors for another, in the end, that sect itself will suffer.

Government can bring a law if it wishes

Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi responded that if a sect prevents other sects from worshipping, the government can bring a law for reform if it wishes, so that people from other sects can also get the right to worship there. To this, Justice Nagarathna said that Article 25(2)(b) was added in the 1950s because at that time social evils like exclusion were very prevalent in society.

This provision gives the government the authority to make laws for social welfare and reform so that temples of a public nature can be opened to all sections of Hindus.

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Determining essential religious practice is extremely difficult

During the hearing, the constitutional bench reiterated that it is very difficult for the court to determine which tradition within a religious sect is an essential religious practice and which is not. If a Hindu sect has many traditions or practices, not all of them can be considered essential religious practices, especially if they go against morality, public order, or health. Meanwhile, the hearing on this matter in the constitutional bench will continue on Thursday.

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