Actor-politician Suresh Gopi’s remarks about non-believers during an event has stirred a controversy triggering an uproar on social media.
The video clip which amounts to hate speech has been doing rounds on social media and features the former Rajya Sabha MP speaking against non-believers in Malayalam at a Maha Shivaratri celebration event that he has ‘no love’ for them and that he would pray ‘for the total destruction of those who hurt the rights of believers’.
Now, Suresh Gopi has come out with a clarification tweet that he was specifically referring to the “distractors (sic) in Sabarimala” and the “political forces who came against his religious right”.
He claimed that the video was edited without ‘proper context’.
‘I have come across a circulating video clip taken from one of my recent speeches, but it has been edited without proper context (sic),’ he said. He claimed that he was speaking about “distractors (sic) in Sabarimala” and certain “political forces” in his speech, and not non-believers in general. “That was my only intention and content (sic),’ he added.
After his controversial clip went viral, many including writer N S Madhavan had condemned the actor’s remarks.
Suresh, who is affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said he was not disrespecting the valuable, sensible, and thoughtful thinking of non-believers and atheists, and never will.
‘I haven’t spoken of them, and my speech has been cut into pieces to satisfy their venomous desire to deflect my idea. I was talking about hindrances and attempts to foil exhibition, exhibit or display of loyal, religious, constitutionally acceptable practices of my religion. If anyone in the name of politics or other religions try to penetrate (sic), I will pray for their damnation,’ he wrote.
‘Let me say my intention and no one has to reroute it (sic). I was not indulging in politics while I said this, and I never will,’ he added.
‘While loving my Gods, I will love all the believers in the world at the same time, I will boldly say that I have no love for non-believers. I will not tolerate any power that tries to endanger the rights of the believers and I would pray in front of the sanctum sanctorum for their complete destruction. All should do that. Our devotion is not to harm anyone. But those who try to disrespect our devotion, our devotional institution or our way of devotion, not even one of them should lead a happy life in this world and end here’, Suresh had said during his speech.
In the past, Suresh Gopi has found himself in trouble several times for his conversational statements.