Suresh Gopi offers to step down, wants Sadanandan Master to replace him in union cabinet
Kannur (PTI): Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Sunday expressed his desire to step down from his ministerial post and recommended BJP’s newly elected Rajya Sabha member C Sadanandan Master as his replacement in the central cabinet.
Addressing party workers at a function here, which was also attended by Sadanandan, Gopi said the senior leader’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha marked a significant breakthrough in the politics of northern Kannur district.
"I am saying here with sincerity that Sadanandan Master should be made a (union) minister after removing me. I believe that it will become a new chapter in the political history of Kerala," he said.
Gopi, serving as union minister of state for petroleum and tourism, added that he prays that Sadanandan's MP office here will soon be upgraded to a ministerial office.
The actor-turned-politician said he was among the youngest BJP members in the state, having joined the party only in October 2016.
He noted that the party might have made him a Union minister in recognition of the mandate given by the people during the Lok Sabha polls.
"I never wanted to be a minister by quitting my film career," Gopi said, adding that his income has significantly decreased in recent times.
Sadanandan Master, a senior leader of the saffron party from Kannur district, is a survivor of political violence. He lost both his legs during an alleged attack by CPI(M) workers in 1994.
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UP: Teen girl found hanging from tree; locals claim rape, murder
Pratapgarh (UP) (PTI): The body of a 19-year-old woman was found hanging from a tree in a village under the Manikpur police station area here on Sunday morning, police said.
According to the police, the woman had gone to sleep after dinner on Saturday night but was found hanging in an orchard nearly 400 metres away from her home the following morning.
Additional Superintendent of Police (West), Brijnandan Rai, stated that the circumstances suggest foul play.
"The victim's slippers and undergarments were recovered 50 metres away from the spot where the body was found. There are visible injury marks on her body," Rai said.
While locals have alleged that the woman was murdered after being raped, the ASP said that it is "prima facie a case of murder."
"Based on the complaint filed by the victim's brother, a case of murder has been registered against unidentified persons. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination," the officer added.
Police further clarified that if the medical report confirms sexual assault, relevant sections will be added to the FIR.
Forensic experts and police teams have collected evidence from the spot and are investigating the matter from all angles.
