Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi speaks in the Rajya Sabha.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Last week, when the Justice Hema Committee report, which provides a damning indictment of the exploitation faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, was being discussed in Kerala, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Tourism, Suresh Gopi, found himself in the midst of a controversy.
Mr. Gopi, an actor and the lone Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Kerala, accused the media of prematurely judging actor-MLA Mukesh of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who faces cases of sexual assault and rape. His comments put his party in an embarrassing position since the BJP has been demanding Mr. Mukesh’s resignation.
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Mr. Gopi said that the allegations against Mr. Mukesh were fodder for the media to incite division and distort public perception. Later, when pressed by journalists about the State BJP leadership’s criticism of his stance, Mr. Gopi pushed them aside, stating that he has the right to choose his own course and declined to comment further. Subsequently, he lodged a complaint with the Thrissur city police commissioner, alleging that journalists had obstructed his path at the guest house.
Since joining the BJP, Mr. Gopi has frequently found himself at the centre of controversies. During his campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, he publicly criticised the BJP local leadership for failing to perform their duties effectively. Despite this, Mr. Gopi secured the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat by a margin of over 74,000 votes.
Mr. Gopi’s public statements have often placed the party in unpleasant situations, leaving leaders uncertain about how to respond. When he was nominated president of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute and chairman of its governing council last year, Mr. Gopi hesitated, fearing that accepting the position might signal the end of both his acting and political careers. In June, the BJP Kerala unit was bewildered when Mr. Gopi expressed reluctance to accept a ministerial position, citing prior commitments to film projects. More recently, he reiterated that his primary commitment was to acting and that he did not see himself as a politician. Mr. Gopi believes that the party leadership will find a way for him to continue his work in the film industry, as it remains his main source of income.
Given his proximity to the Prime Minister, the BJP State leadership has now sought the Central leadership’s intervention to rein him in. The BJP leadership says that while the party sees Mr. Gopi’s win from Thrissur as a political victory and aims for greater electoral success in the future, the actor-turned-politician maintains that he is accountable only to the Prime Minister and Home Minister.
The party is concerned that Mr. Gopi’s conduct may harm him personally as well as the party’s standing in the long term. It is unprecedented in Kerala’s history for a Union Minister to file a complaint against journalists on such trivial grounds. Many believe that it is imperative that he take responsibility and devote himself to his ministerial duties, recognising the importance of humility in public life.
Mr. Gopi had earned widespread recognition due to his philanthropic efforts even before winning the Thrissur seat. However, his dramatic outbursts towards journalists have tarnished his reputation. Many believe that Mr. Gopi has been swayed by extreme right-wing elements on social media who have no real connection with the BJP. They believe that he is desperate to seek the approval of fringe elements. There is also a perception among the people that party members are afraid to work with him because he is prone to throwing tantrums. Mr. Gopi has acknowledged his short temper and attributed it to his “unrefined nature”.
As the State unit of the party is unsure of how to deal with him, the BJP Central leadership could consider forming a dedicated team to support Mr. Gopi politically, offering him guidance and briefings. The politician, in turn, would benefit from taking inspiration from former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s approach to media interactions. He could also draw lessons from popular leaders such as former Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and veteran CPI(M) leader V.S. Achuthanandan in connecting effectively with the masses. Else, Mr. Gopi’s unconventional style of functioning and stubborn reluctance to toe the line could prove to be a headache for the BJP, which has worked hard to gain a foothold in Kerala.
