Congress-IUML mounts strain on Kerala authorities to carry Vellappally Natesan accountable for stoking spiritual schism

The Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) sought to mount strain on the Left Democratic Front (LDF) authorities on Sunday (July 20, 2025) to carry Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam basic secretary Vellappally Natesan accountable for allegedly stoking spiritual schisms in society via “communal and caste grievance-weighted hate speeches.” 

Almost synchronously, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] appeared to scramble to distance itself from The Hindu backward class organisation chief’s contentious remarks. It appeared not misplaced on the CPI(M) that Mr. Natesan headed the Left Democratic Front (LDF)-backed Renaissance Protection Samiti (RPS), a collective shaped in 2019 ostensibly to additional progressive and secular values to counter a perceived right-wing drift in the direction of identification politics in Kerala society. 

The CPI(M) State secretariat urged the SNDP Yogam management to pursue the humanist, progressive, and secular values expounded by social reformer and Renaissance chief Sree Narayana Guru. The CPI(M) said that social organisations have been free to boost any subject regarding the individuals. However, it shouldn’t be in a fashion that created spiritual divisions and hate. 

Chandrika flays Natesan

The fraught relationship between the IUML-Congress management and Mr. Natesan appeared to fray additional on Sunday, with IUML mouthpiece Chandrika criticising Mr. Natesan for allegedly spewing “communal venom to claw again socio-political relevance.” Mr. Natesan had invited the UDF management’s ire by remarking on Saturday that each the ruling entrance and the Opposition have been uniformly beholden to the Muslim group, given its “rising electoral and financial heft.” He stated each fronts have been hostages to minority vote financial institution politics. He had alleged that the IUML deliberate to broaden its presence to central and south Kerala by demanding extra seats within the areas within the 2026 Assembly polls, probably with an eye fixed on the Chief Minister’s put up.

IUML nationwide basic secretary P.Ok. Kunhalikutty emphasised that it was the duty of the LDF authorities to behave in opposition to people who exploited the bully pulpit of influential social organisations to trigger communal divisions in Kerala’s secular society. Nevertheless, he averted addressing the query of whether or not the police ought to cost Mr. Natesan with creating enmity between totally different units of individuals and as a substitute positioned the burden on the federal government to “decide the right plan of action.”

Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan alleged that Mr. Natesan raised canine whistle points similar to caste and faith on the behest of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He accused the CPI(M) of sending a subtly aimed political message via Mr. Natesan to galvanise the bulk group votes by othering minorities. Mr. Satheesan accused the CPI(M) of sacrificing secularism on the altar of political expediency. 

Mr. Natesan said that some quarters sought to quell the Ezhava communities’ “battle for social, financial, and political justice” by cherry-picking Sree Narayana Guru’s teachings. He stated he was “prepared to go to jail for talking social truths.”