Controversial remarks by union ministers from Kerala puts the Centre, BJP in a tight spot
Suresh Gopi wants `upper castes’ to handle tribal affairs, George Kurian says “Kerala needs to declare itself backward state to get special funds from Centre”

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The statements made by two union ministers from Kerala within the last 24 hours have sparked a major controversy, placing the BJP in a difficult position.
Union Minister Suresh Gopi stirred up a debate with a controversial remark during a BJP election rally in New Delhi. The actor-turned-politician claimed that true progress in tribal welfare could only be achieved if leaders from the "upper castes" took charge of the Tribal Affairs Ministry.
The statement sparked significant criticism on social media and news channels, prompting the Thrissur MP to announce, "If my statement has hurt the sentiments of any group, I would like to withdraw it." The union minister asserted that his remarks had been deliberately taken out of context to create controversy. "I also stated that the issues of the welfare for forward communities should manage by individuals from Backward Communities. I intended to end caste discrimination in the allocation of portfolios. I represent a party that appointed a woman from the tribal community as the President of India," he explained.
"It is a significant issue in our country that only individuals from the tribal community can be appointed as the Minister for Tribal Affairs. I dream and hope that someone from outside the tribal community, such as a Brahmin or a Naidu, could take charge of this portfolio for the benefit of the community. This would represent a meaningful change," he said.
Additionally, the MP from Thrissur expressed his desire to manage the tribal affairs portfolio and mentioned that he has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allocate the ministry to him."
The CPM and CPI lashed out at the BJP minister saying that their remarks reflected the `casteist’ mindset of that party.
CPM MP K. Radhakrishnan stated that Suresh Gopi's comments were against the constitution, reflecting an upper caste mentality within his party. He added that these remarks insult the President, who belongs to the tribal community.
CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam called for Suresh Gopi, an advocate of the `Chaturvarna’ system, to be removed from the Union Cabinet. Tribal leader C.K. Janu also condemned Gopi's statement.
Earlier, Union Minister George Kurian sparked another controversy by suggesting that if Kerala wants to receive more funds from the central government, it should declare itself as backward in terms of education, infrastructure, and social welfare. Kerala has the highest rank among states in various socio-economic indices.
The Union minister stated that the Central government had allocated special funds to backward states based on various criteria. He remarked, "If you claim that Kerala lacks good roads and education, and suggest that the state is falling behind others in terms of education, infrastructure, social welfare, and other measures, then the Finance Commission will take notice and report to the Centre."
Kurian’s comments were in response to sharp criticism directed at the Centre for neglecting the state’s needs in the union budget.
Both the CPM-led LDF and the Congress-led opposition UDF have strongly criticized the Centre, demanding the resignation of George Kurian for his remarks that they believe insulted Kerala and the progress the state has achieved in various sectors. They argued that his statement reflects the BJP's intent to portray Kerala as a backward state.