SC stays order permitting entry of women into Haji Ali Dargah

New Delhi, Oct 7: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Bombay High Court which had allowed women into the sanctum sanatorium of the Haji Ali Dargah.

The Supreme Court while staying the order observed that the Dargah management must to do some secular introspection and come up with a progressive stand on women's entry into the Dargah.

The Dargah trust assured the court that it will come up with a progressive stand on this issue. The management also told the Supreme Court that it would need two weeks time to do so. While accepting the plea by the Dargah, the court issued a stay on the Bombay High Court order.

In June 2012, Haji Ali had banned the entry of women till the mazar. Two years later a petition was filed challenging this decision by the trust. The trust told the Bombay high court that entry of women in close vicinity of a male saint is a sin.

In August, the High Court allowed the entry of women into the Dargah. The court had observed that the ban order by the Trust contravened Article 14 (equality before law), 15 (prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth) and 25 (freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion) of the Constitution.

The court further observed that the Trust cannot enforce a ban contrary to the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

OneIndia News