Dress Code Row | There Is An Effort To Divide The Country By Religion, Says Madras High Court

The High Court lamented that certain forces have of late raised controversies relating to dress code and it is spreading all over India.

Madras HC | Credit: ABP Nadu

New Delhi: Pointing out that India was a secular nation, the Madras High Court on Thursday expressed concern over the growing tendency of certain forces arousing religious disharmony in the country.

The High Court lamented that certain forces have of late raised controversies relating to dress code and it is spreading all over India.

“What is of paramount importance? Country or religion? It is really shocking to see that somebody is for Hijab, some others are for dhotis inside temples Is this one country or is it divided by religion?” Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari Justice asked, Live Law reported.

Stating “there is an effort to divide the country by religion,”, he observed: “The talk must not be restricted to fundamental rights alone, it’s also important to talk about what the citizens could give back to the country and their fundamental duties.”

Hearing a batch of PIL petitions filed by Rangarajan Narasimhan of Srirangam in Tiruchirappalli district, the High Court bench also comprising Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthi wondered when there is no particular dress code, then how will the question of putting up display boards on the same arise.

The petitioner had prayed the court to order strict implementation of the dress code for devotees, disallowing non-Hindus from stepping into the temples across the state and a ban on commercial activities in the premises of the temples.

“Display boards should be placed prominently at the entrance of the temples banning entry of non-Hindus and prescribing dress code,” he said in his PIL filed on Thursday, PTI reported.

The High Court bench advised the petitioner to produce the evidence for his prayer when he insisted for an order.

Displeased over the petitioner’s relentless posture, the bench warned him of barring from appearing in-person before the court and directed him to use appropriate words and desist from quarrelling.

The bench allowed the petitioner to file an affidavit with illustrations relating to the dress code after Tamil Nadu Advocate General R Shanmugasundaram informed the court that each and every temple is following its own custom and visitors belonging to other religions are allowed only up to the ‘kodi maram’ (flag mast).

The High Court’s observation came in the backdrop of a raging debate over the hijab controversy in Karnataka.