Suresh Gopi withdraws 'upper caste' statement amid backlash; says AIIMS likely in Alappuzha

New Delhi: Following widespread criticism, Minister of State Suresh Gopi on Sunday retracted his statement that members of upper castes should manage the Tribal Affairs Ministry for progress to occur. He stated that if his statement or explanation was disliked, he would withdraw it. He further added that his intention was only to eliminate division.

The controversial remarks were made during an election speech in Mayur Vihar, Delhi, where Gopi stated that members of upper castes should handle the Tribal Affairs Ministry for progress to happen. He suggested that a Brahmin or Naidu should handle tribal issues, arguing that it would make a notable difference.

Gopi also said that since 2016, he had been requesting Prime Minister Modi to grant him the Tribal Affairs Ministry. He said, "It is a curse in our country that a Tribal Cabinet Minister can never be someone who is not a tribal. My dream is for a person from an upper caste to become a tribal minister for their upliftment. If someone is suitable to be a tribal minister, they should be appointed as the minister for the advancement of backward castes. This transformation should happen in our democratic system."
However, Suresh Gopi later on the day stated he was withdrawing his statement as his remark invited wrath from all corners.

‘AIIMS likely to come up in Alappuzha’

Suresh Gopi also announced that AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) will be coming to Kerala, with Alappuzha being the most likely location. He mentioned that he had spoken to Union Health Minister J P Nadda regarding the same.

Gopi emphasised that Alappuzha district is a region that has been pushed towards destruction due to the interference of a particular political party, keeping it in a state of extreme backwardness. So he wished that the AIIMS should come up there. The MP also clarified that he never requested for AIIMS to be located in Thrissur, his constituency. 

"I have been advocating for AIIMS to be located in Alappuzha. I had asked J P Nadda in 2015 for it. Even after I became a Rajya Sabha member in 2016, I continued to argue for Alappuzha. I also requested Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to include Alappuzha in the list. However, it has not been included in the list so far," he added.

Union Budget 2025

Interestingly, despite Kerala having already completed all necessary steps, including land acquisition in Kozhikode, in accordance with the Centre’s guidelines, the Union Budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday made no mention of AIIMS in the state.