Women approach Gujarat High Court for entry in dargah

Gujarat High Court (Source: File Photo)

The Gujarat High Court today issued notices to the state government, Waqf Board and trustee of the Hazrat Moulana Mehabub Ki Dargah on a PIL by two women seeking women’s entry to the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine. The division bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice V M Pancholi issued notices to the respondents on a PIL filed by two women — Deepika Shinde and Alifia Lacewala — seeking direction by the court to the respondents to allow entry of women to the dargah which has been denied to them.

The Hazrat Moulana Mehabub Ki Dargah is located in Patan town in Gujarat. The PIL also cites the recent judgement of the Bombay High Court in which the court allowed entry of women to the Haji Ali Dargah in the megapolis. It mentions that the judgement by the Bombay HC was confirmed by the Apex Court which issued directions to respondents to implement the HC order in time frame or face action.

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The Bombay HC in its Haji Ali judgement had held that there is no protection to practices and customs denying entry of women to religious places unless the practice is essentially religious, the PIL stated. The petitioners said denial of their entry to the dargah for being a woman is against the Constitution which considers women at par with men.

They said despite repeated representations made before the trustees of the dargah, district administration, Waqf Board and state government officials, their appeals were not heeded to. The matter is likely to come up for hearing within two weeks.