New Delhi: Amid growing voices for a reconsideration of the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing entry of women at Lord Ayyappa abode Sabarimala temple in Kerala and many women groups protesting against the apex court’s order for “violating centuries old faith and beliefs”, the RSS on Wednesday said that while the verdict should be respected, devotees’ sentiments “cannot be ignored.”

The RSS urged that all stakeholders should come together and address the issue availing “judicial options also”. The Kerala government has made it clear that it will not be filing a review petition against the apex court’s order.

In a recent judgement, the apex court threw open the doors of Sabarimala temple to girls and women  between the age of 10 and 50, holding the centuries-old Hindu religious practice as illegal and unconstitutional.

In a statement issued, RSS second-in-command, Bhaiyyaji Joshi said, “While the SC judgement should be respected, the RSS calls upon all the stakeholders, including spiritual and community leaders to come together to analyse and address the issue availing judicial options also. They must convey their concerns on their right to worship in a manner which best suits their faith and devotion, to the authorities in a peaceful manner,” said the statement.

The RSS said that while “we all respect the varied temple traditions followed by devotees in Bharat, we have to also honour the  SC decision” and in the case of Sabarimala Devasthanam also “it is an issue of a local temple tradition and faith to which sentiments of millions of devotees, including women, are attached.”

Taking note of the protests by many women groups against the verdict, the RSS leader said, “These sentiments of the devotees cannot be ignored while considering the judgement.Unfortunately, the Kerala government has taken steps to implement the judgement with immediate effect without taking the sentiments of the devotees into consideration. There is an obvious reaction to the same by the devotees, especially women, who are protesting against the forceful breaking of the tradition.”