Kochi, 25 August: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is a party which exclusively helps Muslims and has not done anything for other communities, alleged Vellappalli Natesan, General Secretary of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP Yogam), the community organisation of OBC Hindu Ezhavas founded by Sree Narayana Gurudev at Vaikkom, Kottayam district.
He said that whenever the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) came to power, the IUML cornered all important portfolios, which in turn became havens of corruption. “The departments run by the Muslim League during the UDF rule were havens of corruption. Crores of rupees were looted from the treasury. The Muslim League turned the assassin of democracy and made the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy a mere puppet. They do not love democracy, but love their religion alone. They amassed crores of rupees as bribes and the party leaders became capable of purchasing even the state of Kerala. Now, they are trying to sabotage the social atmosphere in the state,” Natesan said.
The IUML is the second largest constituent in the United Democratic Front.
Vellappalli Natesan, who is also the founder of the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), served as its first president. His son Tushar Vellappalli is the present president of BDJS, vice president of SNDP, and the state convener of the NDA.
Known for blowing hot and cold on political positions, Natesan often maintained that SNDP and NDA are separate, independent bodies free to take their own stands. In practice, however, his positions were frequently seen as pro-CPM. But in recent months he has been consistently highlighting what he describes as the growing communal influence of the Muslim League in Kerala politics.
The Ezhava community, represented by SNDP, is the largest Hindu community in Kerala, accounting for approximately 23 per cent of the state’s population. Natesan added that he “invited their wrath” when he pointed out that the Muslim League used its portfolios under successive UDF governments to serve the Muslim community alone.
