Is it one country or divided by religion, asks Madras HC judge after PIL to ban non-Hindus in temples
India Today
Questioning the intention behind the petition, Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari said, “Is it one country or divided by religion? What is the message being sent here?”
A Madras High Court judge has reacted sharply to a petition seeking a complete ban on the entry of non-Hindus and foreigners in temples in Tamil Nadu.
The plea, filed by Trichy-based activist Rangarajan, makes the case that the presence of non-Hindus and foreigners would pollute the purity of temples.
The petitioner also sought that a strict dress code should be imposed in temples and Hindus should wear bindi, holy ash, dhotis, sarees and salwar kameez that denote their religion, to prevent the entry of atheists.
Questioning the intention behind the petition, Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari said, “Is it one country or divided by religion? What is the message being sent here?”
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The judge expressed shock over recent happenings in the country and asked, “Somebody is going for the hijab, somebody is going for the dhoti. What is paramount? Is it the country or religion?”
He also questioned which law dictates such dress codes and commented that temples in Tamil Nadu do not prescribe a dress code, unlike the Thiruvananthapuram Padmanabhaswamy temple.
