Suresh Gopi faces backlash over ‘dismissive’ response to senior citizen’s plea

Union Minister Suresh Gopi has sparked controversy by allegedly appearing dismissive towards a senior citizen who approached him with a written petition requesting the restoration of the collapsed roof of the latter’s dilapidated house in Thrissur, Kerala, last week.

The video footage of Mr. Gopi returning the written request to the petitioner, allegedly without a glance, went viral, drawing criticism from civic society.

The incident occurred during Mr. Gopi’s public interaction with constituents in Thrissur last week.

The video showed a visibly distressed petitioner, Kochu Velayudhan of Pullu village in Thrissur, flinching at the “rejection” and slowly shrinking back from the glare of television news cameras covering Mr. Gopi’s public outreach programme.

The footage also revealed another senior citizen, with a written petition in his hand, drawing back from the scene, as if taking a cue from Mr. Velyudhan.

Mr. Velayudhan later told mediapersons that he felt abashed after Mr. Gopi “waved him away”.

He said he slunk back home in shame. Mr Velayudhan said the roof of his shanty had collapsed in the rain. Mr Velayudan, his ailing wife and two children lived in a nearby lean-to.

CPI(M) calls on Velayudhan

V. Abdul Khadar, Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] Thrissur district secretary called on Mr. Velayudhan at the latter’s makeshift shack and promised a new home.

Mr. Khadar termed Mr. Gopi’s conduct “cruelly imperious and unbecoming” of an elected representative of the people. “Mr. 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,” he added. 

Suresh Gopi’s response

Meanwhile, in a Facebook post, Mr. Gopi said he was “reluctant to make false promises to people who approached him with various reasons.”

“As a person holding public office, I have utmost clarity about what I can do and what I cannot. I do not swindle people by giving them assurances I cannot honour”, he said. 

Mr. Gopi reiterated that housing was a State subject and not the Centre’s preserve. “I am hard-pressed as an individual to give guarantees on subjects outside my ambit”, he said.  

Mr. Gopi said “a political party” had created unnecessary controversy for political ends. “However, I am glad that the fuss gifted a new home for the person”, he added.