Unhappy at being made MoS? MP first hints at it then denies
Hours after Suresh Gopi, BJP’s lone MP from Kerala, was sworn in as a Minister of State in the new NDA government, the actor-politician said that he is sure he would be relieved from office soon. In a media interview on the evening of June 9, Suresh Gopi said that he did not want a ministerial berth in the first place.“I have firmly said I did not want it. I think I will be relieved soon. [The people of Thrissur] will have no issues with it. I will deliver a good performance as an MP for them. I am bound to complete the films I am part of. Let other things be decided by them [BJP leaders],” said Suresh Gopi, who was elected from Thrissur by a margin of nearly 75,000 votes.This however led to speculation that he was resigning from his ministerial position. However, he told TNM that his comments were “totally misconstrued,” denying ever saying that he did not want a ministerial berth. Notably, a ‘Union Minister for Thrissur’ was one of his poll promises during his campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. During an interview in April, Suresh Gopi had said that Thrissur — where he has now been elected from — has never seen one of its MPs become a Union Minister, and that it was “Modi’s guarantee” to fulfil that void.The opposition Congress has alleged that Suresh Gopi’s changing stances were a mockery of voters. “Why don't you tell your MP to first decide what he wants to do in life and most importantly stop this show in front of the media after taking oath in the name of God and the constitution,” a social media post read.Actor and BJP MP Suresh Gopi took oath as MoS yesterday and portfolio is yet to be assigned. Today he wants to quit because he wants to do films! He is sure that leadership will relieve him soon. @BJP4India @narendramodi why this mockery of voters? Why don't you tell your MP to… pic.twitter.com/VPKO5Z7G2l— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) June 10, 2024 On the evening of June 9, Suresh Gopi also lashed out at a Media One reporter, who asked for the politician’s thoughts on being allocated just the Minister of State post and not a bigger portfolio. Suresh Gopi responded that there was nothing wrong with the MoS position, further taking a jibe at the news outlet, saying he already knows how much the channel “respected the Constitution.” The former NDA government had notoriously revoked the channel’s licence, denying security clearance on the ground that the channel had links with Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind (JEIH). The ban was later quashed by the Supreme Court, which stated that the denial of security clearance to a channel for its views produces “a chilling effect on free speech and particularly on press freedom.” On June 4, during the BJP’s victory celebrations for Suresh Gopi, several party workers attacked the Media One’s headquarters in Kozhikode.Earlier, after it was announced that Kerala would get two Cabinet ministers — Suresh Gopi and George Kurian — Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had said that two ministers for the state would give a sense of participation to the people of Kerala in the conduct of the national affairs. “We are very happy. They are very experienced, mature and committed to the agenda of the government,” he said. V Muraleedharan, former Minister, had also hinted at the possibility of Suresh Gopi securing a cabinet position, remarking, “If Suresh Gopi is inducted into the cabinet, it will help towards the development of Thrissur.”
HOURS after Suresh Gopi, BJP’s lone MP from Kerala, was sworn in as a Minister of State in the new NDA government, the actor-politician said that he is sure he would be relieved from office soon.
In a media interview on the evening of June 9, Suresh Gopi said that he did not want a ministerial berth in the first place.
“I have firmly said I did not want it. I think I will be relieved soon. [The people of Thrissur] will have no issues with it. I will deliver a good performance as an MP for them. I am bound to complete the films I am part of. Let other things be decided by them [BJP leaders],” said Suresh Gopi, who was elected from Thrissur by a margin of nearly 75,000 votes.
This however led to speculation that he was resigning from his ministerial position. However, he told TNM that his comments were “totally misconstrued,” denying ever saying that he did not want a ministerial berth.
Notably, a ‘Union Minister for Thrissur’ was one of his poll promises during his campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. During an interview in April, Suresh Gopi had said that Thrissur — where he has now been elected from — has never seen one of its MPs become a Union Minister and that it was “Modi’s guarantee” to fulfil that void.
The opposition Congress has alleged that Suresh Gopi’s changing stances were a mockery of voters. “Why don't you tell your MP to first decide what he wants to do in life and most importantly stop this show in front of the media after taking oath in the name of God and the constitution,” a social media post read.
Actor and BJP MP Suresh Gopi took oath as MoS yesterday and portfolio is yet to be assigned. Today he wants to quit because he wants to do films! He is sure that leadership will relieve him soon. @BJP4India @narendramodi why this mockery of voters? Why don't you tell your MP to… pic.twitter.com/VPKO5Z7G2l
— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) June 10, 2024
On the evening of June 9, Suresh Gopi also lashed out at a Media One reporter, who asked for the politician’s thoughts on being allocated just the Minister of State post and not a bigger portfolio. Suresh Gopi responded that there was nothing wrong with the MoS position, further taking a jibe at the news outlet, saying he already knows how much the channel “respected the Constitution.”
The former NDA government had notoriously revoked the channel’s licence, denying security clearance on the ground that the channel had links with Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind (JEIH).
The ban was later quashed by the Supreme Court, which stated that the denial of security clearance to a channel for its views produces “a chilling effect on free speech and particularly on press freedom.”
On June 4, during the BJP’s victory celebrations for Suresh Gopi, several party workers attacked Media One’s headquarters in Kozhikode.
Earlier, after it was announced that Kerala would get two Cabinet ministers — Suresh Gopi and George Kurian — Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had said that two ministers for the state would give a sense of participation to the people of Kerala in the conduct of the national affairs.
“We are very happy. They are very experienced, mature and committed to the agenda of the government,” he said.
V Muraleedharan, a former minister, had also hinted at the possibility of Suresh Gopi securing a cabinet position, remarking, “If Suresh Gopi is inducted into the cabinet, it will help towards the development of Thrissur.”
