SNDP general secretary Vellappally Natesan filed an anticipatory bail plea with the Kerala High Court on Monday for his alleged communal speech made in Aluva on November 30. The High Court is due to consider his plea on Wednesday.
In his defence, Natesan had said that he was speaking against the government’s decision rather than being communal in his bail plea. Matrubhumi reports that he claimed that allegations against him were politically motivated and that his speech has not affected the communal harmony in any way.
Natesan had said that the Kerala government helped Naushad's family because he was a Muslim, and it is better to die as a Muslim in Kerala.
An auto driver by profession in Kozhikode district, Naushad lost his life while trying to save two contract labourers, who were stuck in an underground gutter. Eventually, he was taken out by firefighters along with the two cleaners but all the three succumbed, choking on poisonous gas.
A case of inciting communal hatred was registered against him by the police. He made those comments while reacting to the state government’s decision to offer Naushad a job along with a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for his family.