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Union Minister Suresh Gopi’s public outreach programme, ‘Kalungu Souhruda Samvadam’, held at various locations in his parliamentary constituency, Thrissur, over the past few days, is proving to be quite the public relations nightmare. The actor-politician’s characteristic haughtiness may have earned his police roles a handful of fans in his younger days, but it is not being received kindly now as videos of his interactions do the rounds online.
“That is not my job,” is how Gopi responded to an elderly man’s petition to repair his house earlier this week. The man, Kochu Velayudhan, was turned down; his petition handed back to him unopened when he approached Gopi at a ‘Kalungu Souhruda Samvadam’ organised in his village, Pullu. Sitting beside Gopi at the event was BJP state leader and actor Devan.
The senior citizen later told the media that he felt slighted by his MP’s dismissal. The video of the interaction went viral, with the BJP leader’s “feudal” attitude drawing flak from all quarters. Viewers spotted another elderly man next to Velayudhan, hiding an envelope, possibly another petition, upon seeing Gopi’s response to Velayudhan.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) promptly entered the scene, promising to build a house for Kochu Velayudhan. The party’s district secretary, V Abdul Khader, reportedly visited the senior citizen’s house and criticised Gopi’s response. According to The Hindu, Khader said, “Suresh Gopi has recurrently behaved contemptuously towards constituents who seek his help. He appears to hold the ordinary people who voted him to power in scorn.”
At yet another ‘Kalungu Souhruda Samvadam’, this time held in Kodungalloor on September 17, Gopi said, “No one should be under the impression that they can douse this ball of fire by pointing to mistakes that lie scattered here and there. That will never happen. Velayudhan chettan got a house; I’m only happy about that. I will send more Velayudhan chettans to them [CPI(M)]. They should show the same enthusiasm then.”
In a Facebook post, he also added, “It is not my style to make promises that I cannot keep…Housing is a state subject.”
The online ire against the Union Minister had barely died down by Wednesday, September 17, when another video of him dismissing a woman’s complaint surfaced. This time, the woman is heard telling the Union Minister about her deposit in the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank. The CPI(M)-led bank had faced liquidation after a multi-crore scam involving its director board was exposed.
The woman, speaking to Gopi at a ‘Kalungu Souhruda Samvadam’ held in Irinjalakkuda, asked the Minister for his help in recovering her money deposited in the Karuvannur bank. “The Enforcement Directorate has confiscated the money; tell your Chief Minister to accept it. Chechi, don’t talk so much; go tell your Chief Minister to first receive the money the ED has taken,” he told her.
“It is my money that is stuck there. They are not returning it, sir should show us a way,” she replied, to which Gopi responded, “That is what I just did; go ask your Chief Minister.” The woman then quipped, “I can’t go to the Chief Minister; I do not know the way,” only for Gopi to repeat that she should approach the Chief Minister, adding that she should approach her MLA.
The woman asked, “I am from a poor household. How can I approach the Chief Minister?” to which Suresh Gopi snapped at her, saying, “You pile this on my chest too.”