Latest news with #SNDPYogam
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
CPM bats for minority rights
Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretariat distanced itself from statements made by SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan against Muslim community. In a statement issued on Sunday, the secretariat said, "While anyone may raise community issues, it must not be done in a way that incites religious hatred. " SNDP, founded by Sree Narayana Guru—who upheld the unity of religions—should adopt positions that promote secularism, the statement said. The party stressed that safeguarding minority rights is essential to preserving secularism. Only in a secular society, it said, can people of all faiths and non-believers live and function democratically. The govt, it noted, is committed to hearing the concerns of all communities and addressing them through missions, welfare schemes and poverty alleviation programmes that benefit the poor across all sections. Kerala's renaissance movements played a major role in advancing social progress. CPM said it has continued that legacy by embracing the social justice values of those movements, while protecting and uplifting marginalized communities. The party pointed out that efforts to communalize society aligns with corporate interests. The state's secular fabric, it said, can only be preserved by firmly resisting all forms of communalism.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Vellappally under fire for remarks on Muslim population, but remains unfazed
KOCHI: Vellappally Natesan drew flak from all corners on Sunday for his remarks suggesting that the Muslim community was leveraging its growing population to dominate the state's administration. However, an unrelenting SNDP Yogam general secretary asserted that he would continue to speak for social justice, 'even if Kanthapuram (A P Aboobacker Musliyar) throws a spear at me.' Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan came down heavily on Vellappally, calling his remarks divisive and contrary to the ideals of Sree Narayana Guru. 'Kerala is home to people who respect the teachings of the Guru. What the SNDP general secretary is propagating is diametrically opposite to the Guru's teachings. These are not his (Vellappally's) words, they are being planted by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other CPM leaders,' Satheesan told reporters. The Opposition will firmly resist any campaign that spreads hatred or division, Satheesan said, adding it was no coincidence that such statements emerged just as the government faced public criticism over issues in the health and higher education sectors. Vellappally's contentious statement came on Saturday at a meeting of SNDP union leaders in Kottayam. He claimed that Muslims would soon become the majority in Kerala and that the government would then have no choice but to 'listen to Kanthapuram and govern accordingly.' The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) also lashed out, likening Vellappally to hardline Hindutva leaders. In a scathing editorial, its official organ Chandrika called Vellappally the 'Kerala Togadia'.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Kerala: IUML slams Vellappally Natesan over communal remarks
Thiruvananthapuram: SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan has stirred fresh controversy with a communally charged speech, prompting a sharp rebuttal from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which labelled him 'Kerala's Togadia' - a reference to Praveen Togadia, known for his inflammatory and anti-Muslim rhetoric. Speaking at a branch leadership convention of the SNDP in Kottayam on Saturday, Vellappally claimed that Kerala was on the path to becoming a Muslim-majority state. He accused both the ruling LDF and opposition UDF of pandering to the Muslim community and alleged that the state government needed the approval of Malappuram district for decisions as trivial as changes to school timings or the introduction of Zumba classes. He further twisted a decade-old remark by senior CPM leader V.S. Achuthanandan to support his claim. While Achuthanandan had, in 2012, warned that the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) aimed to Islamise Kerala through radical means, Vellappally quoted him out of context to suggest that even a former chief minister had predicted a Muslim-majority Kerala within decades. BJP national executive member Amit Malviya also shared a cropped version of Achuthanandan's comment on social media. This is not the first time Vellappally has drawn flak for his remarks about Malappuram. Two months ago, he described the district as functioning like a separate nation, dominated by a particular community, making it difficult for others to express their opinions freely. While IUML had downplayed his earlier comments, the party has taken strong exception this time. An editorial published in Chandrika, the party's mouthpiece, tore into Vellappally's rhetoric, stating, 'He spreads communal poison even more freely than Praveen Togadia. It seems there is a contest between him and the man from Poonjar (a reference to P.C. George) on who can be the worst communal voice in Kerala. The state police and government appear indifferent.' The editorial also criticised Vellappally's statement that while two wards were reduced in Alappuzha during delimitation, four were added in Malappuram. He accused the IUML of now eyeing the Chief Minister's post, having earlier demanded the Deputy Chief Minister's position. The IUML hit back strongly. 'Wasn't C.H. Mohammed Koya a Muslim Chief Minister? Who says a Muslim can't hold that post? These remarks clearly reflect majoritarian communal thinking,' the editorial concluded.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Kerala will soon become Muslim majority state: SNDP leader Vellappally Natesan
KOTTAYAM: Launching a sharp attack on the Muslim community, SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan on Saturday accused it of attempting to exert undue influence over administrative affairs of Kerala. Speaking at a state-level branch leadership meeting of various Yogam unions in Kottayam, Vellappally also asserted that a united Ezhava community could potentially determine the state's chief minister. He also expressed concern that both the LDF and UDF were primarily catering to the interests of the Muslim community only. He warned that the Muslim population would soon become the majority in the state and said the current situation is such that the state government should just listen to Kanthapuram and govern.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Kanthapuram's advice now enough to rule Kerala: Natesan
Kottayam: SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan said that Kerala has reached a point where it is enough to simply follow the advice of Sunni leader Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musaliyar to rule Kerala. He said that Muslims will soon become the majority community in Kerala and that whatever law the govt brings, it will not be implemented unless it is cleared from Malappuram. Natesan was delivering the presidential speech at the leadership meet of the Kottayam unit of SNDP on Saturday. "There are interventions in the Zumba classes plan and the change in school timings. Where is Kerala going? This is not secularism but it is dominance of religion. When the constituencies in Hindu majority areas were reduced, four seats were added in Malappuram. The Muslim League is contesting more seats in Kerala. They will ask for more again in the next elections. They will ask for seats outside Malabar. The League is aiming for the chief minister's post," said Natesan. He also alleged that the industrial sector is being dominated by Muslims while the education sector monopolized by the Christian community. The Ezhavas are represented only in the MGNREGA scheme, Natesan said. "If the Ezhavas stand together, they have the power to rule. They can decide who will rule Kerala. The Ezhavas should become a political force. No matter which party they join, they should gain representation. They should try to come to power in the areas where the Ezhavas have influence," he said.
