The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Union Ministries of Law and Justice and Minority Affairs to respond to a petition seeking the entry of Muslim women in all mosques of the country, PTI reported. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi posted the matter for further hearing on November 5.

The petition was filed by Yasmeen Zuber Ahmad Peerzade, seeking directions for government authorities and Muslim bodies such as the Wakf Board to allow women into mosques on the grounds that denying them entry violated fundamental rights.

The bench, also comprising Justices SA Bobde and SA Nazeer, ordered that a notice along with copies of petition be served to Maharashtra State Board of Wakf, Central Wakf Council and All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

The Centre, represented by lawyer Rajat Nair, accepted the notice.

“Permit Muslim women to enter through the main door of mosques and have an Islamic right to visual and auditory access to the musalla [main sanctuary],” the petition said.

In July, the Supreme Court had dismissed a plea filed by the state president of the Kerala unit of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha to allow Muslim women to enter mosques for offering prayers. The court had asked the petitioner: “How are you affected? Let the aggrieved persons come before us. Let a Muslim woman come, then we will consider.”

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