Plea moved against bar on women’s entry in ‘Dargah’

New Delhi: A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court by some female law students seeking directions to the Centre and other authorities to permit entry of women into the sanctum sanctorum of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah. 

The public interest litigation (PIL) plea, which is likely to come up for hearing next week, has claimed that there is a notice put up outside the 'dargah' -- a shrine built over the grave of a religious figure -- clearly stating in English and Hindi that women are not allowed inside. 

The law students, in their petition, have contended they made several representations to the authorities, including the Delhi Police, but no response was received and therefore, they moved the high court. 

The plea, filed through advocate Kamlesh Kumar Mishra, has sought directions to the Centre, Delhi government, police and the trust managing the shrine, to frame guidelines for ensuring the entry of women into the dargah and declare the bar on entry of females as "unconstitutional". 

The petitioners, who are law students from Pune, have contended that when the Supreme Court has allowed females of all ages to visit Sabarimala shrine in Kerala, women in the heart of the national capital were being discriminated against by being prohibited from entering the dargah. 

According to the petition, the law students came to know of the bar on women's entry at the dargah when they visited the shrine on November 27 to offer prayers. 

"Nizamuddin Dargah by its very nature is a public place and prohibition of entry of anyone in a public place on the basis of gender is contrary to the framework of the Constitution of India," it said. 

It also said various other shrines like Ajmer Sharif Dargah and Haji Ali Dargah did not prohibit entry of women.