The Kerala CPI(M) on Wednesday intensified its campaign against the leadership of the SNDP Yogam, the powerful community outfit of Hindu lower caste Ezhavas which had allegedly been getting closer to the BJP recently, with Opposition leader and senior Marxist VS Achuthanandan accusing its general secretary Vellappally Natesan of taking Rs100-crore bribe for appointing teachers in the educational institutions controlled by the Yogam.
The CPI(M) and the SNDP (Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam) under Vellappally’s leadership have been at loggerheads ever since the latter began to give out signs of getting into a friendship with the BJP several months ago. Ezhavas have traditionally been considered as supporters of the CPI(M) but it thinks that SNDP’s new pro-BJP stand could put an end to that.
“In the past four years, there have been 302 appointments of teachers in the various educational institutions of the Sree Narayana Trust (controlled by the SNDP). It is learnt that an amount of between Rs25 lakh to 40 lakh is taken for each appointment. At that rate, a minimum of Rs100 crore has been given as bribe (to the Yogam chief),” the nonagenarian Marxist leader said.
While speaking at a seminar at Vellappally’s native village, Kanichukulangara in Alappuzha district, Achuthanandan wanted to know whether these donations for appointments had been recorded in the accounts of the SN Trust. He also said that Ezhavas, the actual owners of the institutions, had the right to know about what happened to this money.
“Has any Ezhava been appointed in the SNC Trust colleges without taking donationIJ He asked, adding that Vellappally was using all this money to fill his own coffers. Achuthanandan further alleged that Vellappally had been taking the SNDP closer to the BJP and Sangh Pariwar because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s determination to act against black money-holders.
“Vellappally is building friendship with the Sangh Pariwar in order to conceal his own shady affairs. He is trying to surrender the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru (the spiritual reformer on whose teachings the SNDP is based) to communalism. Doing politics in the name of religion will cause deep wounds in the society,” Achuthanandan said.
Achuthanandan’s allegation against Vellappally has come amidst the speculations that the SNDP leadership has already reached a preliminary understanding over adjustments for the civic polls to be held in November. The SNDP chief has already held two rounds of discussions with BJP president Amit Shah but Vellappally says the meetings had nothing to do with elections.