‘No matter what Kanthapuram throws at me, I will speak my mind’: SNDP Yogam General Secretary

A day after stating that Kerala has reached a point where simply following the advice of Sunni leader Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musaliyar is enough to rule the state, Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan offered an explanation for his remark.

Vellappally Natesan said in Alappuzha on Sunday that he is being targeted for his statement in Kottayam on Saturday, asserting that no matter what spear Kanthapuram (Sunni leader Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musaliyar) throws at him, he will not hesitate to say what he has to say.

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“I am an ordinary person, but I will speak for social justice. I will speak today and tomorrow for social justice. Even if my effigy is burnt, or no matter what spear Kanthapuram throws at me, I will continue to speak my mind. Those who talk only about caste and work for caste 24 hours a day are the ones calling me a casteist,” Vellappally said.

“I stand for the poor. The rich do not like me. Organised vote-bank communities have grown and flourished, while unorganised communities have collapsed,” Vellappally added.

Vellappally also challenged those accusing him of spreading communalism, saying, “File a case against me for spreading communalism. Am I spreading communalism here? I am speaking for the benefit of my community. If we say something, the Left and the Right will unite — and then everyone will attack us together. If we remain silent about everything they do, it will be called religious harmony. But if we speak up, they will accuse us of religious hatred.”

He said he had no desire for any position beyond fulfilling the responsibility entrusted to him by the community. “I have not sought any post beyond the responsibility given to me by my community. Nine MPs have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Kerala by both the Left and the Right — and not even one is from a backward community. When I pointed out that the backward classes, who form the vast majority in Kerala, were not given due consideration, all the Muslim organisations came out against me. They demanded my removal from the Renaissance Protection Committee. But they were not the ones who appointed me,” he added.

Stating that efforts were being made to weaken the organised strength of the Ezhava community, Vellappally said they too wanted a rightful share of power in a democracy. “If the Left and the Right do not give it to us, am I a communalist for saying so openly?” he asked.

Vellappally Natesan said on Saturday that Kerala has reached a point where simply following the advice of Sunni leader Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musaliyar is enough to govern the state. He claimed that Muslims would soon become the majority community in Kerala and alleged that no law introduced by the government would be implemented without approval from Malappuram.

He also accused the minority community and its leaders of unnecessarily interfering in the state’s administration, citing recent controversies over the LDF government’s decision to revise school timings and the introduction of Zumba dance in schools as examples.

Meanwhile, responding to Vellappally’s statement on Saturday, the Muslim League mouthpiece, Chandrika, dubbed him “Kerala’s Togadia” — a scathing reference to Praveen Togadia, president of the International Hindu Parishad, who has been embroiled in multiple controversies over hate speeches.

In an editorial published on Sunday, Chandrika said that Vellappally “spews communalism in a way even Praveen Togadia cannot match.” It added that there seems to be a competition between him and “a man from Poonjar” (a reference to PC George) to determine who is worse. The editorial also criticised the Kerala Police and the government for remaining indifferent to the issue.

Opposition leader VD Satheesan has also condemned Vellappally Natesan’s remarks, alleging that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is behind Natesan’s communal statements. He said that the SNDP Yogam General Secretary is spreading ideas that are contrary to the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru.