In the wake of his recent remarks likening Indira Gandhi to the “mother of India,” Union Minister Suresh Gopi clarified his position on Sunday, hailing the former Prime Minister as the quintessential architect of post-independence India. Gopi lamented that his comments had been misconstrued by the media.

The thespian-turned-politician emphasized his sincerity, stating he spoke from the heart and stood by his words about Indira Gandhi. Addressing the press, the BJP leader questioned the media’s grasp of nuanced language.

“What did I articulate? Regarding the Congress… irrespective of public opinion… K Karunakaran is the patriarch of the Congress party in Kerala. Across India, its matriarch is Indira Gandhi. I spoke this earnestly,” Suresh Gopi asserted. The Minister of State for Petroleum and Tourism continued to extol Indira Gandhi on Sunday.

“My paternal lineage was entrenched in the Congress, my maternal lineage contributed to the genesis of Janasangh in Kerala… I was affiliated with the SFI. However, my transition wasn’t politically motivated. It was driven by emotion. I will live passionately, resonating with all strata of society, all walks of life, all tiers of existence… My heritage, my traditions, the essence of Sanatana Dharma – I must embody these virtues. Simply because Indira Gandhi was affiliated with Congress, and despite her autocratic actions, I cannot refrain from acknowledging her. I recognize her as the true architect of India post-independence up until her demise. I must acknowledge this regardless. I cannot disregard someone who genuinely served the nation merely because she belonged to an opposing political faction,” he elucidated.

While paying homage to the late Congress Chief Minister K Karunakaran in Thrissur on Saturday, Gopi had referred to Indira Gandhi as the “mother of India” and lauded Karunakaran as a “valiant administrator.” The BJP leader also expressed his admiration for Karunakaran and Marxist stalwart E K Nayanar, referring to them as his “political mentors.”

Gopi elucidated that while he regarded Indira Gandhi as “bharathathinte mathavu” (mother of India), Karunakaran represented the “father of the Congress party in the state” in his view. He clarified that calling Karunakaran the “father” of the Congress in Kerala did not diminish the contributions of the party’s founders or co-founders in the state. Gopi recently won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat, marking a significant electoral victory for the BJP in Kerala.