Kannur , 16 June (H.S.) :
Senior CPI(M) leader and state committee member P. Sasi has issued a legal notice to SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan, demanding that he withdraw remarks made against him during a recent television interview and issue an apology.
The notice was sent through advocate K. Viswan and pertains to comments made by Vellappally in which he allegedly described the office controlled by Sasi, who served as Political Secretary to former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, as the “undertaker” of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government. Sasi has termed the allegations false, defamatory and damaging to his reputation.
According to sources, the legal notice seeks an unconditional retraction of the statements and a public apology from the SNDP leader. The development marks the latest in a series of legal actions initiated by Sasi against individuals who have made allegations against him in recent years.
Earlier, Sasi had filed defamation proceedings against former Nilambur MLA P.V. Anvar over a series of allegations raised during the final year of the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. Anvar had publicly levelled 16 serious accusations against Sasi at different times. After issuing a legal notice demanding withdrawal of the allegations and an apology, Sasi proceeded with legal action when Anvar failed to respond.
Criminal complaints were subsequently filed before the First Class Magistrate Courts in Thalassery and Kannur. During the controversy, Sasi had alleged that underworld groups were backing Anvar and claimed that certain vested interests were attempting to target him as part of a broader campaign against the Chief Minister and the government.
Sasi had also defended the record of the previous LDF administration, maintaining that virtually every family in Kerala had benefited in some way from the government's welfare and development initiatives.
The legal notice to Vellappally is expected to intensify the political debate surrounding the functioning of the previous LDF government and the role played by key officials in the Chief Minister’s Office.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
