“Not anti-Muslim”; SNDP General Secretary clarifies remarks on Malappuram

SNDP General Secretary Vellappally Natesan on Sunday defended his statements on Malappuram and asserted that he is not against Muslims. Speaking to reporters here, he said that his words have been taken out of context and that he is being branded as a religious extremist.

Stating that Muslims make up 56 per cent of Malappuram’s population, Natesan said that the district cannot be referred to as a nation of Muslims. He added that his intention was to convey that social justice was missing in the district. “When Babri Masjid was demolished, SNDP had responded in support of the Muslims. When did I become anti-Muslim?” he asked.

The SNDP general secretary slammed the Muslim League and questioned whether they have ever had a Hindu candidate. “How many Panchayat members in Malappuram are Hindus? Does speaking out against it make me a religious extremist?” he asked. No Christian has attacked me because of my statements, he added.

The SNDP leader alleged that the controversy surrounding his words are an attempt to divert attention from news about the ED probe on the Gokulam group.