Kerala’s Higher Education Minister R. Bindu didn’t mince words on Saturday, delivering a scathing critique of Thrissur MP and Union Minister Suresh Gopi. She slammed his ‘Kalungu Samvadhangal’ public interaction programs, describing them as unsettlingly similar to “feudal durbars” where vulnerable citizens are subjected to mockery and humiliation.
Referencing a recent event in Irinjalakuda, Minister Bindu highlighted a particularly egregious moment where Mr. Gopi’s dismissive response to an elderly woman’s concerns was “a blatant disregard for both democratic principles and basic human decency.”
“He professes to be a Minister for the entire nation,” Bindu remarked, “yet he conveniently overlooks the fact that the people of Thrissur elected him as their Member of Parliament. It is his fundamental obligation to address the concerns of all constituents, regardless of their voting choices. Every citizen falls under his purview of responsibility.”
The Minister further chastised the actor-turned-politician, accusing him of allowing his cinematic persona to bleed into his public duties. “His comments frequently suggest he’s trapped in a film-like fantasy, rather than acting as a true public representative. It seems the roles of feudal landlords he once portrayed on screen are now being reenacted on our streets, testing the patience of ordinary people,” she asserted.
She lamented that when ordinary citizens approach him with the same reverence and enthusiasm they once held for the film star, “Mr. Gopi replies with words that inflict pain instead of offering solace. This pattern of behavior is profoundly troubling and unacceptable.”
Denouncing this as a perilous fusion of political negligence and cinematic detachment, Minister Bindu called for immediate intervention from the BJP leadership. “His party must remind him that he is no longer on a film set, but occupies a significant public office where he is ethically bound to listen with empathy to the hardships faced by people. It’s the BJP’s duty to guide him out of this misguided sense of grandeur,” she concluded.