Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan on Sunday said the Ezhava community in Idukki Lok Sabha constituency should react to the Church’s design of using the minority card to seize political power and support the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Dean Kuriakose.
He was inaugurating the eighth district-level Vanitha Sangam meeting at Nedumkandam.
He said SNDP Yogam usually supported candidates who helped the community locally without any political considerations.
However, in Idukki the community members should defeat the plans of the Church and the Left Democratic Front, he said.
‘Bowed to diktats’He alleged that the Left had bowed to the diktats of the Church and extended support to the legal advisor of the High Range Protection Council that stood for those who had usurped land and wealth by exploiting the nature. He alleged that the Left candidate was selected by the Church. He said the LDF candidate was a ‘land-grabber’.
He also claimed that in Idukki constituency there were only 25 per cent people who belong to the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church and the stand taken by it was not supported by other denominations such as the Jacobites and Orthodox groups.
He added that ex-MP P.T. Thomas had supported the community.
Mr. Thomas was sidelined only because of the clout enjoyed by the Church. Mr. Natesan also slammed the Idukki Bishop.
“A religious leader saying that we will decide the fate of the candidate in Idukki is against all democratic norms,” he said.
