Suresh Gopi, Union Minister and first BJP MP from Kerala, calls Indira Gandhi 'Mother of India'

Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP in Kerala, Suresh Gopi, has reportedly termed former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi “Mother of India” and the late Congress leader and former Kerala chief minister K Karunakaran a “courageous administrator”. 

Gopi, who was inducted as the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas as well as the Ministry of Tourism, made the remarks after visiting Karunakaran's memorial, ‘Murali Mandiram’, in Thrissur recently. 

The Union minister also referred to veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders, EK Nayanar and K Karunakaran, as his “political gurus”. 

Notably, Gopi defeated Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate K Karunakaran's son, K Muraleedharan, in the Thrissur constituency in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. 

He clarified that his admiration for other party leaders cannot be considered his “political views”, and they remain “unchanged and loyal” to his existing party. 

“As an Indian, a person who stands up for the country, a Bharatiya, I have very evident politics. That shouldn’t be broken. But the respect I have for people comes from my heart. You don’t have to give it any political taste,” the BJP MP told reporters after his visit. 

The first time BJP MP from Kerala said that K Karunakaran, as the Union Minister under the Indira Gandhi government, got the best administrative benefits for Kerala, adding that only BJP’s O Rajagopal could come closer to him. 

The actor-turned-politician was sworn in as Minister of State in the Modi 3.0 cabinet. He assumed charge as Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas as well as the Ministry of Tourism on Tuesday morning, earlier this week. 

After taking oath as a minister in the Narendra Modi government, there were reports that Gopi would step down from his post. However, he dismissed as 'grossly incorrect' media reports suggesting that he was seeking an 'exit' from the Narendra Modi-led government.