The Madras High Court ruled that preventing Dalits from entering temples on caste grounds constitutes untouchability, violating Article 17 of the Constitution.
Madras HC Rules Preventing Dalits from Temple Entry is Untouchability
The Madras High Court delivered a landmark judgment declaring that preventing a Scheduled Caste individual from entering a temple on grounds of caste is tantamount to the practice of untouchability, which is prohibited under Article 17 of the Indian Constitution. This was held in the case of Sundaram Vs District Collector, presided over by Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy.
The judgment emphasized that no individual can be denied temple access based on caste and stressed the importance of equality and non-discrimination within religious spaces. The court asserted that preventive measures against such practices are not only legal necessities but moral imperatives as well.
“Preventing another from entering a temple due to caste is a violation of the Constitution,” the judge remarked.
This ruling has profound implications for the protection of social and religious rights in India, particularly for marginalized communities. Legal practitioners should be aware of the heightened scrutiny this judgment places on caste-based discrimination, which could lead to increased litigation in cases related to access to religious places.
Citations
- Sundaram Vs District Collector (2026) Madras HC
