Kottayam: Vellappally Natesan, the general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, has once again stirred controversy with inflammatory and Islamophobic remarks delivered during a leadership meeting in Kottayam on July 19, reported the Maktoob Media.
In his speech, Natesan alleged that Kerala was on the verge of becoming a “Muslim-dominated state” and claimed that the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) would soon demand the Chief Minister’s post. He further accused Muslims of controlling key areas of the state’s governance—from school timings to industrial dominance—while asserting that Christians had taken over the education sector and Hindus, particularly the Ezhava community, were being reduced to manual labor roles under schemes like MGNREGA.
Natesan cited former CM V.S. Achuthanandan’s past statement about Kerala’s changing demography, saying:
“Achuthanandan once said Muslims would become the majority by 2040, but that day seems near already. Alappuzha lost two seats while Malappuram gained four.”
He also criticized both major political fronts—LDF and UDF—accusing them of bowing to Muslim interests and operating under influence from Malappuram. He even took a jibe at Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad (Kanthapuram), calling out the Kerala government for listening solely to his advice.
These comments came shortly after Sheikh Abubakr intervened—at MLA Chandy Oommen’s request—to help postpone the execution of Nimisha Priya, a nurse on death row in Yemen. The Grand Mufti of India’s intervention, which leveraged his ties with Yemeni scholars, was widely appreciated.
Natesan’s claims have triggered backlash from various political and religious leaders.
VD Satheesan, the Opposition Leader, held CM Pinarayi Vijayan responsible for emboldening Natesan.
“Such divisive speeches by community leaders are unacceptable,” he said.
Sathar Panthalloor of Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama called the remarks “communal madness” and urged the public to reject such rhetoric.
IUML leaders also condemned the speech, with Abdul Hameed MLA demanding legal action.
Social media platforms were flooded with criticism, with many calling out the CM’s silence and accusing Natesan of pitting communities against each other.
