BJP’s Suresh Gopi Calls Indira Gandhi “Mother Of India”, Marxist Veteran “Political Guru”

Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Wednesday described former PM Indira Gandhi as the “mother of India” and late Congress Chief Minister K Karunakaran as a “courageous administrator”.

The BJP leader also called Karnuakaran and Marxist veteran E K Nayanar as his “political gurus”.

Mr Gopi was speaking to reporters after visiting the memorial of Karunakaran, “Murali Mandiram” located in Punkunnam here.

Interestingly, Suresh Gopi had won Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency by dashing the hopes of Karunakaran’s son and Congress leader K Muraleedharan who finished third in a triangular contest in the April 26 polls.

Urging mediapersons not to add any political connotation to his visit to Karunakaran memorial, the BJP leader said he came here to pay his respects to his “guru”.

He said like Nayanar and his wife Sarada Teacher, he had close relations with Karunakaran and his wife Kalyanikutty Amma also.

He had visited Nayanar’s home in Kannur and renewed his relationship with his family members on June 12.

Mr Gopi said as he viewed Indira Gandhi as “bharathathinte mathavu” (mother of India), Karunakaran was the “father of the Congress party in the state” for him.

He explained that describing Karunakaran as the “father” of the Congress in Kerala was not a disrespect to the founders or co-founders of the grand old party in the southern state.