The rift between Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yoga General Secretary Vellappally Natesan and Communist Party of India (CPI) State Secretary Binoy Viswam intensified on Friday, with Mr Natesan accusing the CPI of taking money from him.
He also accused the CPI of taking positions hostile to the interests of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), citing its sharp criticism of the government signing up to the PM SHRI scheme, which he said gave the impression of a lack of unity within the alliance.
Mr Natesan’s tirade against Mr Viswam was part of a series of exchanges that prompted the CPI’s assessment that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s public bonhomie with Mr Natesan had hurt the Left Front’s prospects in the recent local body elections.
Responding to Mr. Viswam’s remarks that he would not let Mr. Natesan get into his official car (as the CM had done), Mr. Natesan said that he did not want to get into Mr. Viswam’s vehicle. “Why should I get into his car? (CPI stalwart) TV Thomas and MN Govindan Nair have traveled in my car many times,” he said, adding that he still remembers what the CPI leaders said when they took money from him.
Mr Natesan lost his cool when asked why he had recently called a TV journalist an “extremist”.
Refuting the snide comments, Mr. Viswam said that while the CPI may have collected election funds from Mr. Natesan, it did not accept any illegal money from him. “No one has entrusted Vellappally with giving marks to parties in LDF or judging who is right or wrong. Vellappally is not LDF… Sree Narayan’s movement has a glorious history and those holding his top post should remember that they are holding a position illumined by stalwarts like Kumaran Asan,” Mr Viswam said.
He added that he was different from Mr. Vijayan as a person and that both of them had different views when asked if Mr. Vijayan justified his car journey with Mr. Natesan by saying that he (Mr. Vijayan) was not Binoy Viswam.
CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan on Friday softened his stance against Mr. Natesan, saying his party would not consider him a communal bigot for an isolated remark.
However, Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan accused Mr Vijayan of “using someone else as his mouthpiece to create a communal divide” in the state, referring to Mr Natesan’s statement that the IUML was trying to inflame communal tension. Mr. Vijayan was trying to create communal hatred in the same way the Sangh Parivar did, he alleged.
On Friday evening, Kozhikode Youth Congress district vice-president K. Sunand submitted a petition to the state police chief, alleging that Mr. Natesan was trying to create a communal divide in the society. In his email complaint, Mr. Sunand accused Mr. Natesan of portraying religious minorities as extremists and asked for a case to be registered against him for what he described as “inflammatory” remarks.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Union of Working Journalists demanded that Mr. Natesan apologize for his “communal-charged remarks” if he had any faith in the teachings of Sree Narayan Guru. It also asked leaders close to him and SNDP Yogam to intervene and correct his “feudal and fascist” behaviour.
Published – 02 Jan 2026 21:36 IST
