Thrissur: Union Minister Suresh Gopi’s alleged refusal to help an 80-year-old man build a house has escalated into a political controversy in Kerala, with the CPI(M) stepping in to offer assistance.
Gopi, an actor-turned-politician who is Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas as well as Tourism, held a series of meetings in his Thrissur constituency last week to identify local development issues. During one such event on September 12, an elderly man named Kochu Velayudhan approached him seeking help to rebuild his dilapidated home.
In a video that has since gone viral, Velayudhan can be seen handing Gopi a written request, explaining that his tiled house was damaged when a tree fell on it two years ago. He later told the media he has been living in a temporary hut beside the damaged house and alleged that the minister dismissed his plea.
The incident triggered a wave of criticism because Gopi, who won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat, the BJP’s first parliamentary seat in Kerala, is widely perceived to have built his support base through philanthropic activities.
As the video spread online, CPI(M) leaders visited Velayudhan and pledged to construct his house. In a Facebook post on Sunday, CPI(M) Thrissur district secretary K. V. Abdul Khader said the party would build the house for Velayudhan, “who was insulted by Union Minister and Thrissur MP Suresh Gopi by saying that accepting petitions was not his job.” Khader added that work on the house would begin the following day.
Recalling the incident, Velayudhan told reporters on Monday: “Gopi did not even accept the petition. He told me that it was not his job. It (house construction) is the job of the panchayat. He is a minister. I did not compel him. He should have at least accepted my paper.”
Responding to the criticism on social media on Monday, Gopi issued a statement explaining his stand. “There have been several reports and interpretations pertaining to denial of an application seeking aid for construction of a house. I found certain people use it for their personal political agenda. As a public servant, I have a clear understanding on what I can do and cannot. I do not make promises which cannot be fulfilled. It is not my style to give false promises to people,” he wrote.
He further said that “housing is a state subject” and that decisions on such matters rest with the state government. “My attempts have also been to work within the confines of the system and deliver true achievements to the people,” he added.
Gopi also said he was pleased that another party had come forward to ensure a safe home for the family. “Even though it is politically motivated, they got a house because of me… Those who had been familiar with this (the plight of Velayudhan) for the last two years have now ventured out to provide a house because of me. People’s struggles, I believe, are for real solutions, not political games,” he stated.