Union Minister Suresh Gopi calls Indira Gandhi "mother of India"
Thrissur (Kerala) (PTI): 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".
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.
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.
The actor-turned-politician also hailed the administrative capabilities of the Congress veteran and dubbed him as a "courageous administrator" of his generation.
He further said though he had expressed his desire to visit the Murali Mandiram in 2019 also, the veteran's daughter Padmaja Venugopal, who recently defected to the BJP, discouraged him due to political reasons.
Later, Suresh Gopi also visited the famous Lourde Mata Church in the city and offered prayers.
He and his family's presentation of a golden crown to the idol of St Mary during his daughter's marriage was used by his political opponents to target him, alleging that it was not made of yellow metal but copper.
Gopi won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat, opening an account for the BJP in Kerala.
Thrissur had witnessed a three-way contest for the Lok Sabha polls, with major candidates from the Congress, BJP, and CPI locked in a neck-and-neck battle.
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MP: BJP Minister makes controversial statement involving Col. Sofia Qureshi
Says Modi sent “their own sister” to destroy terrorists
Bhopal: Kunwar Vijay Shah, a minister in the Mohan Yadav-led Madhya Pradesh government, has stirred controversy with a provocative statement made during a public event. Without naming Indian Army officer Colonel Sofia Qureshi, the minister made remarks that have drawn criticism for being communal and derogatory in tone.
Addressing a gathering, Vijay Shah claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken a symbolic step to avenge the mistreatment of Indian women by sending "a sister from their community" to confront those responsible. His reference, believed to be directed towards Colonel Sofia Qureshi, suggested that the officer was sent on a military aircraft to retaliate against Pakistan-based terrorists for previous attacks and alleged atrocities.
“The Pakistanis had stripped people from our country. The terrorists said ‘tell Modi we have killed Hindus and stripped them’. That’s why PM Modi sent their sister in an army plane to teach them a lesson,” Shah said in his speech.
He further added, “Those who had destroyed the vermilion of our sisters, we sent their own sister to beat them. Modi could not remove thier clothes, so he sent their sister – from their caste and community – to take revenge and strip them.”
The minister also praised the Prime Minister’s leadership, saying only someone with a "56-inch chest" could take such decisions. “Modi said he would reduce them to dust. The terrorists were sitting in their homes and they were beaten. We are proud that Narendra Modi is our Prime Minister and that we are safe under his leadership,” Shah said.
The remarks have sparked outrage on social media, with many calling them insensitive, communal, and disrespectful to the armed forces. Critics have pointed out that using the identity of a decorated army officer to make political or communal statements is inappropriate and undermines the professionalism of India’s defence forces.
There has been no official response from Colonel Sofia Qureshi or the Indian Army regarding the remarks.
This is a BJP MLA from Madhya Pradesh, Kunwar Vijay Shah.
— Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRaii) May 13, 2025
In this speech referring to Colonel Sofia Qureshi , he is saying that “ Modiji sent the Pakistanis their own sister to teach them a lesson”
Colonel Qureshi made India proud, roared like a lioness for India and this the… pic.twitter.com/EBHuQ3ycvd
