In a valuable judgment, the Bombay High Court today lifted the ban imposed on women from entering the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali Dargah.
Welcoming the decision, former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Barkha Shukla Singh said the ban contravened the fundamental rights of a person.
She told ANI. "It is good time for women. I express my gratitude to Mrs Desai. I think the decision is absolutely right. Nature has never differentiated between men and women then why are men biased against us. The court gave a right decision to allow women to enter the inner sanctum of the Goshani Shingnapur and the dargah for praying to god".
"Women should be permitted to enter the dargah on par with men," a Bombay High Court division bench of Justices V M Kanade and Revati Mohite Dere said.
The Haji Ali Dargah trust imposed the ban in 2012 citing religious traditions. Authorities then defended the ban, saying that the entry of women in close proximity to the tomb of a male saint would be seen as a grievous sin in Islam.
The trust had claimed that separate arrangements have been made for women to walk up to a certain point from where they can offer prayers.
The ban is contrary to Articles 14, 15, 19 and 25 of the Constitution of India.