Union minister clarifies after calling Indira Gandhi 'Mother of India'
What's the story
Union Minister Suresh Gopi issued a clarification on Sunday regarding his previous statement in which he referred to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as the "Mother of India." The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s first Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, Gopi, stated that he had actually referred to Gandhi as the mother of the Congress party in India. He claimed that his remarks were misinterpreted by the media.
Admiration expressed
Gopi expresses admiration for Gandhi
"What did I say? As far as the Congress is concerned...whether anyone likes it or not...K Karunakaran is the father of the Congress..in Kerala. In India, its mother is Indira Gandhi. I said this from my heart," Gopi said. Gopi also expressed his admiration for Gandhi, describing her as the real architect of post-independence India until her demise. "I cannot forget a person who had worked sincerely for the country only because she belonged to the...rival party," he added.
Twitter Post
Gandhi real architect of India post-independence: Gopi
#WATCH | Union Minister Suresh Gopi says, "Simply because my father's family was a Congress family, my mother's family worked up to the formation of Janasangh in Kerala... I was in the SFI. But the reason behind my shift was not political. It was emotional. I will live my life… pic.twitter.com/RZbyKBkpQr
— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2024
Respect acknowledged
Gopi's respect for Congress founders and political mentors
At the same time, Gopi clarified that his reference to Karunakaran as the "father of the Congress party in the state" was not meant as a disrespect to the founders or co-founders of Congress in Kerala. He also mentioned that he considered Karunakaran and Marxist veteran E K Nayanar his "political gurus." Gopi recently won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat, giving the BJP its first electoral victory in Kerala. He defeated Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate VS Sunilkumar.