T' PURAM/ALUVA: Police on Monday registered a case against SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan for his controversial remarks during a speech in Aluva.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala told mediapersons here the case under Section IPC 153 (A) was registered at the Aluva police station. The section deals with “intention to cause disorder, promoting enmity between religious groups and inciting people to violence,’ a non-bailable offence that invites fine and imprisonment up to three years.
Chennithala said the case was based on representations from legislators, including Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan. The government had also sought an opinion from the Director of Prosecution. He termed Vellappally’s remarks as serious. “Vellappally is infected with communal virus. The speech was intended to divide people on the basis of religion. The people will give medication for his illness,” Chennithala said. He said Vellappally was trying to implement the agenda of the BJP and RSS. The government cannot allow attempts to incite communal tension.
Vellappally, at a reception to his Samatwa Munnetta Yatra in Aluva, made the controversial remark while mentioning the incident in which Noushad, an autorickshaw driver, died while attempting to rescue two migrant labourers who were trapped in a manhole in Kozhikode the other day.
Vellappally had said the government granted `10 lakh to Noushad’s family as he was a Muslim. “So, if you die, you should die as a Muslim (to get compensation),” he said.
Later, elaborating on his statement at a press conference here, the SNDP leader said he was just pointing out the gaping disparity in the disbursement of relief.
“The two labourers who died in the same manhole were not treated the same way. Similarly, no one cared to reach out to the bereaved families of the four handball players of a school in Kochi who died in a mishap in Malappuram the other day,” alleged Vellappally.