Thiruvananthapuram: SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan has snubbed BJP president Amit Shah's suggestion for the NSS and SNDP Yogam to join hands in the protest on the Sabarimala issue.
He said it's Mr Shah's slip of the tongue and what he must have meant is BDJS, a political party and not SNDP Yogam, a community organisation.
Mr Shah made the remarks while inaugurating the Navathy commemorations of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru at Sivagiri Mutt on Saturday.
Mr Nateshan made only a brief speech after Mr Shah's inaugural address. His clarification came within minutes of Mr Shah leaving for Hyderabad.
Ever since the landmark verdict allowing women of all ages to worship in Sabarimala, he had maintained that SNDP Yogam would not join protests.
"I can't change my stand overnight on Sabarimala. It should be recalled that NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair had taken a unilateral stand a few years ago that he will not work along with the Yogam," he told DC.
"He had then said he would consider working with the Yogam when I step down. When he says so, do you think I will forget his hurtful words and go along with him?"
The two do not see eye to eye ever since he tried the pan-caste Hindutva slogan, ‘Nayadi muthal Namboodiri vare’ (from the lowest to the highest caste). Mr Nair denounced it.
Former BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan had tried multiple times to have a meeting between Mr Shah and Mr Nair but in vain.
His successor, Mr Pillai, has got excellent rapport with Mr Nair and would be trying to cash in on the situation over Sabarimala as both are against the court verdict.
