Sabarimala: Advocate for devotees seek rehearing in Supreme Court verdict

New Delhi [India], Feb 7 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Thursday asked advocate Mathew Nedumpara appearing for the National Ayyappa Devotees Association (NADA) to file a written submission on the Sabarimala temple case and if required the apex court could grant him an oral hearing.
Mathew, who appeared before the apex court for National Ayyappa Devotees Association (NADA), has petitioned for rehearing in the Sabarimala case citing that the devotees of Lord Ayyappa were not heard previously. 
The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its judgment on a batch of review petitions over the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple, while the Travancore Temple Board (TDP) pledged to support entry of women of all ages into the Lord Ayyappa shrine. The Sabarimala Temple is under the control of the Devaswom Board.
Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) counsel Rakesh Dwivedi said the board decided to honour the judgment and has appealed the Supreme Court to dismiss the review petitions.
In November last year, the TDB had moved the top court seeking an extension for implementation of the verdict which lifted the age-old ban on entry of women of menstruating age inside the hill shrine.
Reacting on the TDB's current stand on the issue, Travancore Devaswom Board's former president Prayar Gopalakrishnan alleged that the decision of the board was 'influenced by a political party or their government".
"I was TDB President, at that time there was no politics in official work but present Devaswom Board is acting as per the instruction of political parties or their government...Devaswom Board has repeated their U-turn style," he claimed.
However, Travancore Devaswom Board's current president A. Padmakumar outlined that its previous stand was based on the affidavit that the board filed before the verdict was announced, adding that it has already said that it will accept the verdict.
Padmakumar also refuted allegations of the board being influenced by the government
Nearly four months after the top court permitted women of all ages to enter the temple on September 28, two women aged below 50 entered the Lord Ayyappa temple to offer prayers.
Violent protests broke out all across the state, while a purification process took place in the temple following the entry of these two women- Bindu Ammini and Kanaka Durga. (ANI)