Thiruvananthapuram, Jan. 3 -- Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary and Ezhava community leader Vellappally Natesan stoked controversy on Friday by calling a television journalist "terrorist" and accusing the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) of conspiring to incite communal riots in the state.

Natesan, the chieftain of the SNDP since 1996 and a vocal commentator on the state's social and political subjects, has been, of late, a staunch critic of the Congress-led UDF, particularly its second biggest partner, IUML, accusing the party of not providing space in its citadel of Malappuram district for social outfits like SNDP to open educational institutions.

Speaking to reporters at his residence on Friday, Natesan ...