Kerala: NSS, SNDP supremo slams VD Satheeshan over appeasement politics
Experts believe that the statements by NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair and SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan on Sunday are being seen as a blow to the UDF, which, buoyed by the success in December's local body polls, is gearing up for the assembly election under Satheeshan's leadership.
Kottayam: Making a direct swipe at leader of opposition and senior Congress leader VD Satheeshan, supremos of both the NSS (Nair Service Society) and the SNDP (Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Sangham) slammed the alleged minority appeasement politics employed ahead of state assembly elections.
At the same time, the heads of the two groups decided to work together going forward and not to associate with any political parties.
Experts believe that the statements by NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair and SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan on Sunday are being seen as a blow to the UDF, which, buoyed by the success in December’s local body polls, is gearing up for the assembly election under Satheesan’s leadership.
The leaders also alluded to the necessity of Nair-Ezhava unity in Kerala, a move interpreted as an indirect response to a possible minority consolidation in the elections.
Nair alleged that the Congress had let Satheeshan ‘loose’. "Does Congress have a president? Why does he respond to every issue? He is commenting on everything by making the president look like a pawn,” he said.
Vellappally said Satheesan had been calling him a communalist while himself aligning with Jamaat-e-Islami and Muslim League.
"There are several other senior leaders in Congress like A K Antony, Ramesh Chennithala and K C Venugopal. I will concede if they say I am a communalist. Satheesan is calling me a communalist while aligning with Jamaat-e-Islami and Muslim League,” he told reporters at his residence in Kanichukulangara, Alappuzha.
On Satheesan’s comments over him travelling in the chief minister’s car, Vellappally said. "My father gifted my sister an imported car even before Satheesan was born. What were Satheesan’s assets before entering politics? He consistently speaks against Ezhavas. Even his grandfather couldn’t cause a division in the SNDP Yogam,” he said.
Vellappally also said unity between the NSS and SSNDP Yogam is essential, and a meeting will be convened in Alappuzha on January 21 to discuss it. He also accused the Indian Union Muslim League of sowing discord between the two groups.
"The League was responsible for our separation from the NSS by discouraging cooperation. The SNDP has always advocated for the unity of Hindu communities, from Nayadi to Namboothiri. The League leadership organised protests by projecting the SNDP and opposed Nair-Ezhava unity,” he said.