As Vellappally continues ‘anti-Muslim’ remarks, Congress says his ‘divisive statements’ at CM Vijayan’s behest

“Muslims have become an unbeatable force in the state. Whichever party is in power, Muslim clerics including Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar are interfering in the government. The situation is such that any reforms, before being introduced, should get consent from Malappuram (Muslim-dominated district),’’ he alleged.

His remarks at an SNDP function was a sequel to a similar comment on Saturday, when he said the IUML, which is mainly operating in North Kerala, was eyeing seats in Central Kerala in the next Assembly elections. “After winning the elections, the IUML wants to get the chief minister’s post,” he claimed.

Coming out against Natesan, Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said community leaders should desist from making such “divisive statements.’’

“The SNDP Yogam general secretary has echoed what the CPI(M) leaders in Kerala speak against Malappuram and what the Chief Minister had stated in Delhi through public relation agencies. Everything is at the behest of the Chief Minister. This hate speech is against the philosophy of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru (who founded the SNDP Yogam). The Opposition will question the campaign aimed at creating hate and chasm in society,’’ the Congress leader said.

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty accused the government of complicity in Natesan’s “brazen communal comments”.

“This is not the first time that Natesan is making such communal statements. The government has to react to this. We cannot agree with such communal statements,’’ he said.

Without naming Natesan, the CPI(M) state secretariat, in a statement, urged people “to be vigilant against any move that would undermine Kerala’s secular culture”.

“The party views the rights of minorities as part of the protection of secularism. Only in a secular society, all religious and non-religious people can function democratically,’’ the CPI(M) state secretariat said.

Although the IUML has been away from power for the last nine years, Natesan has been constantly attacking the party, an ally of the Congress, as if it controls state politics. His words were apparently aimed at building an anti-Muslim plank in the Assembly elections to be held next year.

Incidentally, the leader of the traditionally pro-CPI(M) Ezhava community has stepped up the attack on the IUML after the CPI(M) failed in its efforts to woo the IUML into the party-led Left Democratic Front fold after its crushing defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In April, Natesan had stated that backward communities “cannot breathe freely” in the Muslim-dominated Malappuram district, which he termed “a special country and a state with a special section of people”. Although his observations had triggered an outrage then, Natesan got support from Vijayan, who said the Ezhava community leader’s words were “misrepresented.’’

Natesan had been the patron of SNDP’s political wing, Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), which is now an ally of BJP-led NDA in Kerala. Natesan’s son Tushar Vellappally is the BDJS chairman. Although the BDJS is with the NDA, the party at the grassroots level has to depend upon followers of the SNDP, many of them traditionally with the CPI(M).