The Supreme Court of India on Thursday said that if courts start interfering in matters of faith, it could lead to a flood of petitions questioning various religious practices. Justice B.V. Nagarathna observed that this could potentially harm the relationship between people and religion, which is intimately connected with Indian society.

Justice Nagarathna noted that India's uniqueness lies in its civilization, where the relationship between people and religion has remained constant despite pluralities and diversities in society. The judge questioned whether courts were the right forum to examine and intervene in this relationship.

Justice M.M. Sundresh said that entertaining petitions challenging religious practices and beliefs could have far-reaching consequences, potentially leading to the breakdown of every religion. Senior advocate Raju Ramachandran argued that while India is a civilization, it is governed by a Constitution, and therefore, nothing that goes against the Constitution can be allowed.

The court's observations come during a hearing of the Sabarimala review case, where petitioners are challenging certain religious practices. The court will continue to hear the case, with the goal of balancing the need to protect fundamental rights with the need to respect religious beliefs and practices. The next steps in the case will depend on the court's further deliberations.