SNDP general secretary Vellappally Natesan on Friday stepped up his criticism of the Indian Union Muslim League, alleging that the party had used its tenure in Congress-led governments primarily to serve its own interests. Speaking at a press conference in Alappuzha, Natesan said the League, which handled the Education departments during UDF rule, had neglected the SNDP while granting major benefits to institutions linked to the party.

He alleged that the League had approved at least 48 unaided colleges and 17 aided institutions in Malappuram alone during its time in office. In comparison, he said, the SNDP has just one unaided college in the district and a total of 18 colleges across Kerala. He also pointed out that while the League runs more than 1,000 schools statewide, the SNDP has around 370, questioning the party’s commitment to social justice when it was in power.

Natesan said that whenever he raised these figures, the League attempted to label him a religious fanatic and accuse him of targeting the Muslim community. Rejecting the allegation, he said many of his close associates are Muslims, including those at a law firm he has worked with for over three decades, which he said reflected the trust and harmony between communities.

He clarified that his criticism was aimed at the Muslim League as a political organisation and not at the Muslim community. Natesan accused the party of attempting to polarise society for electoral gains ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. According to him, the League was seeking to return to power with the UDF to secure further advantages for itself.

During the press meet, he also referred to a journalist who had questioned him during his Varkala visit as a “terrorist.” When asked by reporters to clarify the basis of the remark, Natesan became visibly agitated and alleged that the journalist had been sent with a clear agenda to portray him as anti-religious and anti-Muslim.