• Home

Swami's death casts shadow over BJP-Hindu alliance in Kerala

The demand for a reinvestigation into the mysterious death of the Swami raised mainly by the opposition Left parties has gained strength.

Trivandrum: The row over the death of Ezhava Hindu priest Swami Saswatikananda has cast a cloud over the move by the Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party to forge a political alliance with Sree Narayana Dharma Paipalana (SNDP) Yogam, a socio-cultural organisation of the backward community.
The controversy triggered by bar owner Biju Ramesh's revelation that the former head of Sivagiri Mutt was murdered 13 years ago at the instance of Vellapally Natesan, general secretary of the SNDP, and his son Thushar Vellappally has led to sharp division in the BJP that is yet to make an electoral breakthrough in the state.
The division came to the fore on Sunday when former party state president Sreedharan Pillai backed the demand for reopening the investigation into the murder. He said that the revelation had created confusion in the minds of the people and added that a further probe was required to clear it. Pillai's plea is seen by political circles as a reflection of the apprehension among the rank and file of the party that the political alliance with SNDP or the party to be floated by the organisation would be detrimental to the interests of the BJP.
The demand for a reinvestigation into the mysterious death of the Swami raised mainly by the opposition Left parties has gained strength with current head of Sivagiri Mutt Swami Prakashananda and family members of the late Swami backing it. Most of them want the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe.
The bar owner, who is general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Vedi, had on Friday alleged that Swami was murdered after he inquired about the accounts of Sree Narayana Trust that controls the Sivagiri Mutt. According to Ramesh, Swami was murdered by one Priyan, a convict in a murder case, now in prison. He said Priyan himself had told him of Natesan's involvement in the murder.
Ramesh said Swami who had gone on a tour of the Gulf countries along with the father-son duo had cut short his trip following arguments over the accounts of the Trust. A few days later he was found drowned in the Periyar River at Alwaye in Ernakulam district. The death came prior to a crucial meeting of the Trust.
Natesan had taken away several documents from Sivagiri mutt following the death, said Ramesh. Forensic surgeon Dr M N Soman, who conducted the postmortem on Swami's body, later became the president of the SNDP Yogam. The death came prior to a crucial meeting of the Trust.
Rejecting the allegations against him, Natesan said he was ready to face any probe, including one by the CBI.
He accused the Biju of indulging in character assassination. He said that the charges against him were part of the attacks mounted against him after he initiated a move for forming a political party and an alliance with the BJP.
news@khaleejtimes.com