Petitioners argue that wealth-based discrimination violates rights to equality, dignity, and religious freedom

The Supreme Court on October 25, 2024, agreed to review a plea seeking to abolish 'VIP entry charges' and preferential treatment for certain individuals in temples, while thousands of devotees, including senior citizens, women, children, and persons with disabilities, wait for hours.

A two-judge bench, led by CJI-designate Justice Sanjiv Khanna along with Justice Sanjay Kumar will examine the petition challenging these charges at major temples across India.

The Public Interest Litigation(PIL) claimed that charging fees for faster or priority access to deity darshan discriminates against economically disadvantaged devotees, infringing on their rights under Article 14 (equality) and Article 21 (dignity).

The petition argued that temples nationwide increasingly impose fees, ranging from ₹400 to ₹5,000, to expedite access for those who can afford it. Meanwhile, regular devotees, often financially constrained and travelling huge distances, experience significant delays in darshan.

The plea argued “such fees may infringe on the constitutional rights to equality,dignity,and religious freedom.”

The bench stated, "Re-list (the plea) in the week beginning December 9, 2024." At the start, the petitioner’s counsel noted, "This writ challenges the imposition of VIP entry fees. In fact, the Madras High Court had dealt with the issue but did not go into the question of whether this is discriminatory, violative of Article 14.”

The Court requested the lawyer to provide a copy of the Madras High Court’s verdict on the matter. “The reason why we discussed was that there are certain issues. There are certain writ petitions pending, taking the view that there should not be any state interference/control or court interference. We will have to examine,” the court stated.

In light of the increasing trend in religious tourism, the petition warns that unregulated 'VIP darshan' practices threaten equality and inclusivity in religious spaces, fostering a financially discriminatory environment. The petition requests the court to mandate equal access for all devotees in temples across the country and to restrict preferential treatment based solely on payment.

“Not only the Hindus but also a large number of Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs visit the big temples across the country. The practice of imposing ‘VIP entry charges’ is intra-community as well as inter-community discrimination…Preferential treatment to a class/section of persons in the temples or other religious structures is a retrograde practice, promotes inequality and inequitability, and is antithetical to the basic tenets of the Constitution,” the petition said.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on December 9, 2024.

Case Title: Vijay Kishor Goswami Vs. Union Of India,W.P.(C) No. 000700 / 2024, Diary No. - 46170/2024

Advocate(s) for Petitioner: Sarthak Ghonkrokta