DARGAH-DESAI 2 LAST

In April this year, Desai had unsuccessfully tried to In April this year, Desai had unsuccessfully tried toenter the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali Dargah. "Today I went only upto the permissible limit of theDargah, as I did not want to flout the court’s ruling in anycase," Desai said, adding that she had no intention to hurtthe religious sentiments of anyone but was only trying to makesure that women are given equal rights to pray in all placesof worship. When asked what would be her next destination in herquest for women’s right to pray, Desai said, "I think that inthe backdrop of the high court’s verdict, the trustees of theSabarimala temple ought to open their doors for womendiscriminated on the basis of gender." "And if they don’t, then I would launch a similaragitation and would speak to the management of the temple innext few days," she said. The Haji Ali Dargah Trust had in 2012 imposed the banon women’s entry citing religious traditions. The Maharashtra government had earlier told the HC hatwomen should be barred from entering the inner sanctorumof Haji Ali dargah only if it is so enshrined in the Quran. The ban on women’s entry cannot be justified if it ison the basis of an expert’s interpretation of the Quran, thethen Maharashtra Advocate General Shrihari Aney had argued. The Dargah trust had defended its stand saying that itis referred in Quran that allowing women close proximity tothe dargah of a male saint is a grievous sin. Earlier this year, the Bhumata Brigade led by Desaihad managed to win their fight for women’s right to pray atthe famous Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar district andTrimbakeshwar temple in Nashik district. PTI APM GKBSA