Suresh Gopi faces backlash over 'upper castes' remarks, later backtracks
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New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi sparked controversy on Sunday when he suggested that "upper caste" leaders should be entrusted with the Tribal Affairs portfolio, claiming it would lead to real progress in tribal welfare. His remarks, made during a BJP election campaign in New Delhi, quickly attracted criticism, prompting him to backtrack and clarify his statements.
Speaking at the event, the actor-turned-politician stated that the tribal welfare ministry would benefit from leadership outside the tribal community. “It’s a curse of our country that only a person from the tribal community can be made the minister for tribal affairs. I believe that a Brahmin or a Naidu should take charge of the ministry to bring about significant change for the welfare of the tribal community,” he said, adding that the same approach should apply to tribal leaders managing the portfolios of the forward communities.
Gopi’s comments triggered an immediate backlash, particularly in Kerala. In a swift response to the outrage, he issued a statement backtracking on his remarks. "If my comment is not well received or if this explanation is unsatisfactory, I withdraw my remarks," he clarified, asserting that his intention was to end discrimination. He further emphasized that he did not label any community as superior or inferior and reiterated that his goal was to break away from the discriminatory framework.
"I did not label anyone as good or bad; my only aim was to break free from this framework," Gopi explained, highlighting that his priority as a politician was the welfare of the tribal community.
Earlier, the Thrissur MP had also expressed a desire to handle the Tribal Affairs portfolio and stated that he had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allocate the ministry to him. However, he acknowledged that there were certain precedents in portfolio allocations.
Gopi's comments drew widespread condemnation from political leaders and tribal activists. CPI state secretary Benoy Viswam called Gopi a "piper of the chaturvarna," accusing him of promoting the caste system. Benoy demanded Gopi’s removal from the Union Cabinet and criticized another Union Minister, George Kurian, for making remarks that undermined Kerala’s federal rights.
Benoy further called for the BJP to clarify its stance on these two ministers’ controversial statements, which he described as "anti-tribal" and "anti-Kerala."
Prominent tribal leader C K Janu also condemned Gopi’s remarks, calling them "low-class" and indicative of Gopi’s lack of understanding of tribal issues.
Currently, the Tribal Affairs portfolio in the Modi-led government is managed by BJP leader Jual Oram, a well-known tribal figure from Odisha.
With PTI inputs