New Delhi: A bill to prevent women from entering the Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala was presented in the Lok Sabha by N K Premachandran, Member of Parliament from Kollam in Kerala.
The Lower House of Parliament unanimously gave permission to present the bill on Friday.
Premachandran's Private Member's Bill seeks to protect the customs at the hill shrine in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district that was at the centre of a huge controversy after the Supreme Court allowed women of all age groups to enter the temple.
The women in the age group from 10-50 were earlier barred from entering the shrine.
The Sree Dharma Sastha Temple (Special Provision) Bill 2019 proposes to continue the practices that were followed at the temple as on September 1, 2018.
Speaking to PTI, the United Democratic Front (UDF) MP said "the bill has now become the property of the House".
"The customs and rituals have to be preserved and status quo as existing on September 1, 2018 should be maintained," he said.
Premachandran, a leader of the Revolutionary Socialist Party, an ally of the Congress in Kerala, said the BJP was confused over what stand to take on the bill.
Earlier in the day, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi raised the Sabarimala women's entry issue in the Lok Sabha.
During her speech, she sought a legislation to prevent the entry of women at the temple. "Constitutional protection is needed to safeguard customs," she said.
She also sought a bill that would grant special denominational status to Ayyappa devotees.
The BJP MP concluded her speech amid chants of Jai Ayyappa.
Meenakshi Lekhi also flayed Premachandran’s bill, saying such incomplete bills were presented for media attention.
Later, speaking to reporters outside the Parliament, Premchandran said the BJP is trying to tackle the Sabarimala issue "politically".
He said BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi gave a submission in the Zero Hour that considering Ayyappa devotees as a separate denomination, there should be a conclusive set of laws.
"Quite naturally, knowing that the private member bill would be taken up at 3.00 pm, Lekhi made the submission at Zero Hour to prove that BJP is with the believers," he said, adding "this approach of the government of not bringing in a set of rules whereas saying that they are with the devotees cannot be justified in any manner".
The Bill was unopposed by the BJP or the Opposition, he said.
Premchandran, in his press meet, also refuted Lekhi's allegation of the bill being "defective" and "incomplete" and said that it has the approval of the Union Law Ministry.
"Lekhi, who did not have an opinion regarding this issue till yesterday, suddenly speaks in the Parliament right before the introduction of this Bill, saying that a conclusive set of laws need to be framed. She did not speak about my Bill, but said that a defective or incomplete bill cannot be supported and since the matter is pending in court, the course of action needs to be seen," he said.
"On one hand, the BJP wants to support it and on the other hand, they are unwilling to accept a Bill that has been brought from the side of the UDF," he alleged.
The Supreme Court on September 28 last year declared a Kerala government law barring women aged between 10 and 40 years from entering the Sabarimala temple unconstitutional. Several pleas were filed seeking review of the verdict.
The apex court has reserved its judgement on the review plea.
(With inputs from PTI)
