People should say 'cut' to Suresh Gopi: Minister Ganesh Kumar

Palakkad: Kerala Transport Minister K. B. Ganesh Kumar launched a sharp attack on Union Minister and actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi on Monday, stating that it is up to the people to say “cut” to the Thrissur MP, in response to his recent outburst at media persons.

Addressing reporters in Palakkad, Ganesh Kumar quipped, “I'm not the director to say 'cut' to Suresh Gopi. Action and reaction are personal choices. But in the end, it's the public who should say, ‘Cut’.” The remarks referred to Gopi’s controversial reaction outside the Kochi airport, where he lashed out at journalists who questioned him about the recent attacks on Christians, including Malayali priests, in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

Ganesh Kumar, also an actor-turned-politician, further took a swipe at Gopi, remarking, “It was not his mistake, but a mistake made by the people of Thrissur in choosing him.” Expressing disappointment over the current political climate, he added, “Now I can only pray that something good happens for the people of Thrissur.”

In a personal jibe, Kumar recounted an anecdote from three decades ago when the film 'Commissioner' was released. He claimed that Gopi, who played a police officer in the movie, used to carry a police cap with ‘IPS’ written on it in the rear of his car. “It was visible through the glass—as if he were actually an IPS officer. That tells you all you need to know,” he said mockingly.

Neither Suresh Gopi nor the BJP has responded to Ganesh Kumar’s comments so far.

Commenting on the recent cyberattacks targeting the Mohanlal-Prithviraj starrer 'L2: Empuraan', Ganesh Kumar compared the situation to the Emergency era. “While criticism is part of democracy, it shouldn’t take this form,” he said. He called the controversy around Empuraan “unnecessary” and added, “At best, you can say the acting was good. But whatever is said now turns into a controversy.”

Meanwhile, during the inauguration of an air-conditioned waiting lounge at the KSRTC bus stand in Palakkad, BJP workers staged a protest by waving black flags at the minister. They argued that a clean and functional public toilet was a more pressing public need than a luxury facility.

With PTI inputs