Minor mistakes being exaggerated for 'political gains', says Union Minister Suresh Gopi

Thrissur (Kerala): Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Wednesday alleged that some people were trying to exaggerate certain "inadvertent mistakes" on his part to derive "political mileage".

He was referring to social media criticism over his refusal to accept a petition from an elderly person from his constituency on September 12, requesting assistance to construct a house.

As the visuals of the incident went viral on social media, the elderly man, Velayudhan, was approached by the CPI(M), who offered to build a house for him.

Expressing happiness over the man getting a home, Gopi said certain people were exploiting such an "inadvertent mistake" on his part with "political motives".

“Let them carry out their political campaign. But they should remember that the flame in me can never be doused,” Gopi said during an interaction with the people in his constituency here.

Ridiculing the party which came forward to build a house for Velayudhan, the minister said he was preparing a list of other persons who were in need of a dwelling and sending it to them.

“They should show the boldness to meet the demands of people in this list also,” he said.

Gopi had on Monday issued a clarification on his Facebook page that he chose not to accept the petition as he never made promises which cannot be kept.

“Some people are attempting to exploit the incident for their own political agenda,” he wrote.

“It is the state government that should consider such requests. Giving people false hopes is not my way of doing things,” he had said in the post.