Union Minister Suresh Gopi
| Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT
Union Minister Suresh Gopi has sparked yet another controversy, this time during a Kalunku Souhruda Samvadam, an interaction with the public, at Irinjalakuda in Thrissur, Kerala on Wednesday. The row erupted after his sarcastic reply to an elderly woman who sought his help to recover her deposit from the scam-hit Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank.When the woman asked if he could intervene to help her get the money back, Mr. Gopi told her to approach the Chief Minister instead. When she asked if he could accompany her to meet the Chief Minister, Mr. Gopi retorted with a sarcastic, “Then climb onto my chest.”He further asked her, “Isn’t your Minister staying here itself?” drawing laughter from those present. When the woman replied, “Aren’t you our Minister?,” Mr. Gopi said, “No, I am the Minister for the entire country. I have already given my answer. You should meet the Chief Minister, get the amount released.”The remark, seen as mocking a distressed citizen, has drawn criticism and triggered fresh debates around the Minister’s public conduct. The Minister’s refusal to accept another senior citizen Kochu Velayudhan’s petition had earlier triggered controversy, prompting him to clarify that the matter was not within his jurisdiction. Published - September 17, 2025 07:16 pm IST
