5 hours Ago By CNBCTV18
Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi stirred a controversy on Sunday with his statement that people of the ‘upper caste’ should run the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, provoking widespread criticism from the minority population. The actor-turned-politician further stated that allowing a Brahmin or a Naidu to take command would result in ‘significant change’. Speaking at a BJP election campaign meeting in New Delhi, he said that appointing someone from outside the tribal community would bring greater welfare for the tribals.
“It's a curse of our country that only a person from the tribal community can be made the minister for tribal affairs,” he said, news agency PTI reported. “It is my dream and expectation that someone from outside the tribal community should be appointed for their welfare. Let a Brahmin or a Naidu take charge — there would be significant change.
Likewise, tribal leaders should be given the portfolio for the welfare of forward communities,” he added. Gopi further expressed his personal interest in the ministry, mentioning that he had asked PM Narendra Modi to consider him for the position. “I have requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allocate the ministry to me.
However, there are certain precedents in portfolio allocations,” he added. The BJP leader's statements sparked a wave of criticism, particularly in Kerala. Benoy Viswam, state secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), criticised Gopi's remarks, calling him a ‘piper of the chaturvarna’ (caste system) and requesting his removal from the Union ministry.
Prominent tribal leader C K Janu also slammed Gopi's statements as ‘low-class’ and a sign of ignorance of tribal affairs. Following criticism for his comments, Suresh Gopi later emphasised that he made the statement with the best of intentions. “If my comment is not well received or if this explanation is unsatisfactory, I withdraw my remarks,” he added.
The actor-turned-politician further emphasised that his primary priority as a politician has always been the well-being of the tribal group. “I did not label anyone as good or bad; my only aim was to break free from this framework,” he stated. Currently, BJP leader Jual Oram, a prominent tribal leader from Odisha, leads the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Union Cabinet.
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