Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi’s “culvert sabha” (interaction with local people) at his Thrissur constituency once again turned controversial following his response to an elderly woman who sought his help to recover her deposit from a scam-hit cooperative bank.
In a video from a culvert sabha at Irinjalakuda in Thrissur, a depositor of Karuvannur cooperative bank is seen asking if the minister would help her to get back her deposit after an alleged fund scam in 2023, leading to erosion of deposits from the bank.
“Chechi, don’t talk too much. Tell your chief minister that the ED had returned that money to the bank and accept it,” he says.
When the woman asks if he could help her meet the chief minister, Gopi retorts with a sarcastic: “Then you climb on to my chest. Isn’t your minister living here?”
When the woman says: “You are also a minister”, Gopi replies: “I am the minister of the country.”
This comes a week after a video of the actor-turned-politician rebuffing an elderly man during another “culvert sabha” snowballed into a row in Kerala. The man, identified as Kochu Velaudhyan, is seen seeking assistance in repairing his dilapidated house. After Gopi turned him down, the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) had stepped in with the promise to help the 80-year-old man.
Gopi also made a reference to that row at another sabha Wednesday.
Story continues below this ad
“Don’t think this torch can be extinguished by raising a lapse. That will not happen. It is good that Velayudhan got a new house. I will send more Velayudhans there. Let the party (CPIM) be ready. I will release a list and will go to all 14 districts,” he said.
When asked about the incidents, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekharan said the party had created a system in all constituencies to submit the petitions.
“I don’t know the context of the issue. In all constituencies we have help desks, where people can place their petitions. We are all working for the people to create a Vikasit Keralam,” he told the media.
