Supreme Court questions IYLA's authority in 2006 Sabarimala petition
The Supreme Court put the Indian Young Lawyers Association (IYLA) in the hot seat for its 2006 petition against the Sabarimala temple's ban on women ages 10 to 50.
The bench questioned whether IYLA had any real authority to file the case, with Chief Justice Surya Kant asking, "Are you the chief priest of the country?" and suggesting they focus more on helping young lawyers.
IYLA says it upholds devotees' faith
The court wanted to know how a lawyers' association could claim to represent religious beliefs, and even asked whether they had officially agreed to take up this fight.
While IYLA said their goal was to uphold devotees' faith without discrimination, judges felt they should prioritize issues facing young lawyers, especially in rural areas.
The larger debate about gender discrimination in religious spaces is still ongoing.