NEW DELHI, April 21 -- The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday questioned whether the Constitution would not come to the rescue of a devotee who is barred from touching a deity, during hearings on petitions related to religious practices at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple.

The observation came after the temple's chief priest argued that worship practices must align with the inherent characteristics of the deity and cannot be in conflict with them.

A nine-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, is examining issues concerning alleged discrimination against women at places of worship and the scope of religious freedom under the Constitution.

During the hearing, Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah posed a key question, asking wh...