Union Minister Suresh Gopi Calls Indira Gandhi ‘Mother Of India’, Hails Congress Leader K Karunakaran
Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party’s first Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, Suresh Gopi on Wednesday described the former prime minister of India as “mother of India”. The BJP leader has also called the late Congress Chief Minister K Karunakaran a “courageous administrator”.
The actor-turned-politician also labelled Karunakaran and late communist leader E K Nayanar as his “political gurus”. The BJP leader made this remark when speaking to the reporters after visiting the memorial of Karunakaran, “Murali Mandiram” located in Thrissur constituency.
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Mr Gopi after making the remark requested the media reporters not to add any political connotations as he came to the memorial to pay respects to his guru.
The actor added that he shared a good relationship with Karunakaran and his wife Kalyanikutty Amma just like EK Nayanar and his wife Sarada Teacher.
Interestingly, Suresh Gopi won from the Thrissur constituency by dashing the hopes of Karunakaran’s son and Congress leader K Muraleedharan who came third in the triangular contest in the Lok Sabha polls.
He had earlier visited Nayanar’s home in Kannur and renewed his relationship with his family members on June 12.
Suresh Gopi, the minister of state for tourism and petroleum, called India’s first woman prime minister Indira Gandhi as ‘bharathathinte mathavu’ (mother of India) and Karunakaran as the “father of the Congress party in the state”.
He then explained that by describing Karunakaran as the “father” of the Congress in Kerala was not a disrespect to the founders or co-founders of the party in the state. He hailed the administrative capabilities of the Congress veteran and dubbed him as a “courageous administrator” of his generation.
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Earlier, there was speculation regarding Suresh Gopi stepping down from his post in the Narendra Modi government. However, the politician dismissed as ‘grossly incorrect’ media reports suggesting that he was seeking an ‘exit’ from the cabinet.
“A few media platforms are spreading the incorrect news that I am going to resign from the Council of Ministers of the Modi Government. This is grossly incorrect. It is a matter of pride for me to be in the Council of Ministers of the Modi Government and to represent the people of Kerala,” Gopi had said in a social media post.
