The Supreme Court declared on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, that practices excluding individuals on the basis of caste cannot be protected as religious rights, stating they are incompatible with the Constitution. Justice B.V. Nagarathna, in remarks during the Sabarimala review hearings, emphasized that religion cannot justify casteist discrimination.

Justice Nagarathna said, "Any practice which is casteist cannot be termed a religious practice. A religious practice cannot extend to the exclusion of certain castes." She cited Article 25, which guarantees freedom of conscience and allows the state to enact laws abolishing caste-based exclusion in religious institutions.

The observation was made in the context of reviewing the Court's 2018 verdict that opened the Sabarimala temple to women of all ages. The current hearings examine broader questions about religious customs, constitutional morality, and the state's power to regulate discriminatory practices. The bench is expected to deliver its final ruling in the review petition within the next two months.