Vellappally Natesan, general secretary of SNDP Yogam, outfit of Hindu lower caste Ezhavas, on Monday filed an application before the High Court seeking anticipatory bail in the case registered against him under Section 153(a) of IPC over the allegation that he had indulged in hate speech aimed at creating enmity among religions.
In the bail plea, Natesan, who had on December 5 declared a party of the majority communities in the State, said he had not indulged in hate speech and that the complaint against him was filed by State Congress president VM Sudheeran was politically motivated. The court, which sought the Government’s explanation in the matter, is likely to consider the bail plea on Wednesday.
The Ernakulam (Rural) Police had on November 30 registered a case against Vellappally Natesan over the alleged hate speech he had made during a reception given in Aluva near Kochi to the 13-day all-Kerala march, Samathwa Munnetta Yatra, he was leading on the basis of a complaint from Sudheeran. Two others also had filed complaints over the speech.
While referring to the death of a Muslim youth in Kozhikode while trying to save two migrant workers from a drainage manhole, Vellappally had alleged in his speech in Aluva on November 29 that only persons belonging to particular religions were getting compensation and relief assistance in connection with accidents and tragedies.
In the bail application, Vellappally argued that he had not made the speech with the intention of inciting religious hatred but it was critical of the Congress-led UDF Government’s policy of minority appeasement. He pointed out that no religious disturbance had taken place in the State after his speech and that no religious heads had come out against his words.
Claiming that his words had been distorted, the Hindu community leader said that complainant VM Sudheeran was not an eyewitness to the programme at which he had made the speech but his complaint was based on hearsay information. Congress legislator TN Prathapan and a social activist, G Gireesh Babu, had also lodged complaints against Vellappally over the speech.
Criticising Vellappally’s claims in the bail application, Prathapan said, “It is up to the court to take a decision on the bail plea. We can’t question the court’s decision. However, it is a fact that Vellappally’s speech and the words he spoke at the Press conference after that were a threat to the religious harmony prevailing in Kerala society.”
In his speech, Vellappally had said, “The Government gave `10 lakh and job to a family member of Noushad. If you want to get compensation for death in an accident, you should be a Muslim.” This kind of assistance would not come from the Government when Hindus lose lives in accidents nor would “Ministers’ armies” visit the victims’ families, he added.