Sabarimala verdict: Shiv Sena calls for 12 hours strike in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 29: Shiv Sena has called for a statewide 12 hours strike on October 1 against Supreme Court's verdict to allow women of all ages to enter Sabarimala Temple.

The apex court Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra's 4-1 majority verdict on the entry of women in Sabarimala temple has come as a disappointment to millions of devotees of Ayyappa.

Activist Rahul Easwar, a prominent face of the campaign that challenged the entry of women between the ages of 10 and 50 at Kerala's famous Sabarimala Temple. He said the Supreme Court's order today will be appealed to a larger bench. Rahul Easwar, president of the Ayyappa Dharma Sena, said they were going for a review petition.

The top court revoked restrictions on women entering the temple following a 20-year legal battle, ruling that patriarchy cannot be allowed to trump faith.

The sole voice of dissent in this majority verdict was Justice Indu Malhotra, the only woman in the five-judge bench, who observed that there exists a difference between diversity and discrimination.

Justice Malhotra's observations have therefore struck a sympathetic chord with many Hindus who oppose the vierdict.