Minister Suresh Gopi has referred to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as the 'Mother of India.' Actor-turned-politician made the lotus bloom in Kerala for the first time. Gopi was in his parliamentary constituency, Thrissur, today, where he expressed these words in honor of Indira Gandhi. In today's DNA, Vishal Pandey analyzes BJP minister's statement. 


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After delivering the statement, Suresh Gopi also stated that this praise should not be viewed through a political lens. He also praised the late Congress leader K. Karunakaran. In the Thrissur seat, Karunakaran's son Muraleedharan was the Congress candidate, who came in third place.



The BJP leader also called Karnuakaran and Marxist veteran E K Nayanar as his 'political gurus'. Gopi was speaking to reporters after visiting the memorial of Karunakaran, 'Murali Mandiram' located in Punkunnam here.
Urging mediapersons not to add any political connotation to his visit to Karunakaran memorial, the BJP leader said he came here to pay his respects to his 'guru'. He said like Nayanar and his wife Sarada Teacher, he had close relations with Karunakaran and his wife Kalyanikutty Amma also.


He had visited Nayanar's home in Kannur and renewed his relationship with his family members on June 12. Gopi said as he viewed Indira Gandhi as "bharathathinte mathavu" (mother of India), Karunakaran was the 'father of the Congress party in the state' for him.
He explained that describing Karunakaran as the 'father' of the Congress in Kerala was not a disrespect to the founders or co-founders of the grand old party in the southern state.


The actor-turned-politician also hailed the administrative capabilities of the Congress veteran and dubbed him as a 'courageous administrator' of his generation.


Lok Sabha Polls 2024


Interestingly, Suresh Gopi had won Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency by dashing the hopes of Karunakaran's son and Congress leader K Muraleedharan who finished third in a triangular contest in the April 26 polls.