New Delhi, Feb 11 (LAB) “What is paramount? The country or religion?,” asked the Madras High Court, while taking into consideration the controversy surrounding a government order that banned Muslim women from wearing Hijab to educational institutions.
The Madras High Court expressed its shock over the manner things are going on and said the country is being divided by religion, also referring to petition seeking dress code in temples.
A Two Judge Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice M.N. Bhandari and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthi expressed their views while hearing a bunch of Public Interest Petitions filed by Rangarajan Narasimhan of Srirangam in Tiruchirapalli district and others.
Justice Bhandari said, “It is really shocking, somebody is going for the ‘hijab’ (headscarf), some for the ‘topi’ (cap) a few others for other things. Is it one country? or is it divided by religion or something like that? The court asked.
The bench remarked, “There is nothing but an effort to divide the country in the name of religion.
Narasimhan had filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking directions to ban the entry of non-Hindus to temples and to order the Tamil Nadu government’s department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) to ensure a dress code for devotees entering temples.
The petitioner asked for display boards, banning entry of non-Hindus, to be placed prominently at the entrance of the temples.
When there was no particular dress code, then how can the question of putting up display boards arise, the Bench asked.
But the petitioner persisted. The High Court advised him to produce evidence for his prayer. What part of the ‘agamas’ (rituals) refer to pants, dhotis, and shirts, the court asked.
The Judges also warned that he could be barred from appearing in person before the court and directed him to use appropriate words, and desist from quarreling.
Tamil Nadu Advocate General R. Shanmugasundaram told the court that each temple follows its own customs and visitors belonging to other religions are allowed only up to the ‘kodi maram’ (flag mast). The Court also sought the response of the government on the PIL.
AG Shunmugasundaram also pointed out that there has been a Single-Judge Bench order imposing some restrictions on the dresses that can be worn inside temples.
This decision was reversed by the Division Bench as outside the scope of the writ petition filed. The Advocate General added that devotees are not allowed entry in some South Indian Temples if they are wearing shirts. He was referring to the instance of Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple.
Rangarajan Narasimhan responded that he will be able to produce the text of Agama Sastras on the next date and sort a short date.
The court listed the matter after 10 days.
On the second writ petition seeking to restrict the entry of non-Hindus in temples, the bench granted Advocate General two weeks time to file a counter on behalf of HR & CE Department. The petitioner argued that the entry of non-Hindus in temples for ‘sight-seeing’ violated the sanctity of temple premises./Lab/SNG/