<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Union minister of state for tourism Suresh Gopi has been caught up in a row over refusing to accept the request from an elderly and economically weak man in his constituency Thrissur seeking assistance for reconstruction of his dilapidated house.</p><p>With the CPI(M) local leadership chipping in and assuring to construct a house for the elderly man, the union minister came out with a clarification on Monday that he did not accept the request as it was for the state government to provide housing. </p>.Kerala educational minister slams Suresh Gopi's 'vanara' remarks.<p>He also added that though some people were trying to use it for their political interests, he was happy that owing to him another party came forward to provide housing.</p><p>It was during a public interaction on development at Pullu on the suburbs of Thrissur last week that an elderly man of the locality named Kochuvelayudhan tried to give a written request to the minister seeking assistance for restoring his dilapidated house that collapsed after a tree fell over it. The union minister refused to accept it, telling him that it was for the local panchayat to do.</p><p>After a video of the incident went viral, CPI(M) local leadership called on the elderly man and assured him that they would construct a house. </p><p>Kochuvelayudhan told the media that he was upset over the union minister's neglect towards his plight. He also said that another elderly man who wanted to give a similar request to the minister had withdrawn on seeing the minister's attitude.</p><p>Gopi, who is BJP's maiden Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, clarified in a social media post that he never used to give promises that he could not do. "I know what all I could do as a public worker. I believe in real solutions and not political gimmicks," said Gopi.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Union minister of state for tourism Suresh Gopi has been caught up in a row over refusing to accept the request from an elderly and economically weak man in his constituency Thrissur seeking assistance for reconstruction of his dilapidated house.</p><p>With the CPI(M) local leadership chipping in and assuring to construct a house for the elderly man, the union minister came out with a clarification on Monday that he did not accept the request as it was for the state government to provide housing. </p>.Kerala educational minister slams Suresh Gopi's 'vanara' remarks.<p>He also added that though some people were trying to use it for their political interests, he was happy that owing to him another party came forward to provide housing.</p><p>It was during a public interaction on development at Pullu on the suburbs of Thrissur last week that an elderly man of the locality named Kochuvelayudhan tried to give a written request to the minister seeking assistance for restoring his dilapidated house that collapsed after a tree fell over it. The union minister refused to accept it, telling him that it was for the local panchayat to do.</p><p>After a video of the incident went viral, CPI(M) local leadership called on the elderly man and assured him that they would construct a house. </p><p>Kochuvelayudhan told the media that he was upset over the union minister's neglect towards his plight. He also said that another elderly man who wanted to give a similar request to the minister had withdrawn on seeing the minister's attitude.</p><p>Gopi, who is BJP's maiden Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, clarified in a social media post that he never used to give promises that he could not do. "I know what all I could do as a public worker. I believe in real solutions and not political gimmicks," said Gopi.</p>