Union minister clarifies after calling Indira Gandhi 'Mother of India'
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.
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.
Gandhi real architect of India post-independence: Gopi
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.
