Achuthanandan fires salvo against Vellapally Natesan

Amid efforts by SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellapally Natesan to become friendly with CPI-M heading ruling LDF in Kerala, Marxist veteran V S Achuthanadnan today raked up a corruption case pending against the former and said he would oppose the plea to quash it.
In a statement, the former chief minister said he would implead himself as a respondent in the case connected with alleged corruption in a micro-finance scheme run by Yogam, in which Natesan is the first accused.
Lashing out at the supremo of SNDP, an organisation of numerically stronger backward Ezhava community in the state, he said Natesan's recent 'magic attempt' to thwart the micro-finance fraud case would not succeed.

"I have decided to implead as respondent to oppose the petition filed by Vellapally Natesan seeking to quash the corruption case, in which he is the first accused," Achuthanandan, who is now the State Administrative Reforms Committee Chairman, said.
The case was registered earlier this year on the basis of complaints filed among others by Achuthanandan, accusing Natesan of siphoning of funds from microfinance ventures intended for the indigent members of the Ezhava community.
"He is first accused in the case connected with cheating women of Ezhava community," he added.

A petition filed by Natesan seeking to quash the corruption case is pending before a Vigilance court.

Achuthanandan's statement comes two days after Natesan met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and showered lavish praises on him and also expressed discontent over the tie-up between the Bharat Dharama Jana Sena, a party floated by him, with its key partner BJP in the state.
The development ahead of BJP's national council meeting being held in the state had triggered speculation that he was sending favourable signals towards CPI-M.
Meanwhile, Thushar Vellapally, son of Natesan and President of BDJS, reiterated today that there were no differences between BDJS and BJP.
"People of the state would understand the motive behind the propoganda by a section of media that the relationship between the two parties have soured even after I made it clear that there were no issues between BDJS and BJP," he added.

BJP state leaders had also asserted that there were no differences with BDJS.
Natesan, who was instrumental in the formation of BDJS in the run up to the Assembly elections held in May,had accused the saffron party of not keeping promises made to it.
The allegations about micro-finance scheme were raised after Natesan floated BDJS, opposing both the UDF and LDF in the run up to the May 2016 Assembly elections.
Natesan, who was friendly with both Congress-led UDF and CPI-M headed LDF, turned a political rival after he announced the formation of BDJS and its alliance with BJP.
Both LDF and UDF had accused Natesan of trying to tie the SNDP in the threshold of Sangh parivar.