Case motivated, will fight it, says Vellappally Natesan

Kochi: Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan has said he will fight the case the government has slapped on him for his Aluva speech politically and legally.

Mr Natesan, who is leading the Samatwa Munnetta Yathra, said in Kottayam on Monday that it was a political decision to charge a case against him and that he will prove his innocence in court.

“I will be willing to go to jail,” he said and asked, “Is it a crime to demand that the government must ensure social justice.” Certain political forces are out there to thwart the movement he has been leading, he said. He however, said nobody would dare arrest him before his yatra ended at Samkhukukham on December 5.   

Meanwhile Mr Natesan’s son Tushar Vellappally alleged that the media had given a distorted version of the speech his father had made at Aluva.

“If one were to be arrested for making communally-charged speeches, then Muslim cleric Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musaliyar, chief secretary Jiji Thomson and former CPM general secretary Prakash Karat should be arrested first,” he said.

Mr Vellappally’s statement had earned widespread criticism with CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Congress MLA T.N. Pratapan demanding strict action.

 

 

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