New Delhi, May 15 (IANS): The Supreme Court Tuesday issued notice to the centre and the West Bengal government on a petition seeking that devotees be permitted to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the Kolkata-based Kalighat temple to pay obeisance to the presiding deity.

An apex court vacation bench of Justice Deepak Verma and Justice S.J. Mukhopadhyay issued the notice after it was told that devotees were not able to enter the temple's sanctum sanctorum in the wake of a Calcutta High Court order.

The high court April 20 had completely banned the entry of devotees, including VVIPs and VIPs in the sanctum sanctorum and allowed only priests in.

Councel for the Kalighat Temple Committee, Rana Mukherjee, told the court that the ban on the entry of devotees was creating a law and order problem.

The high court had passed its order after hearing a public suit seeking directions to the temple committee to ensure that the temple in general and sanctum sanctorum in particular is kept in a clean state.

The suit also sought direction that the devotees should not be allowed to throw flowers at the idol and the sanctum sanctorum should not be littered with any kind of material, including flowers.