Thrissur: Actor turned politician Suresh Gopi has replied to the notice issued by Thrissur district Collector T V Anupama following his controversial remarks at an NDA Lok Sabha election convention.
In the reply given to the Collector, the Rajya Sabha MP said that he had not violated any rules and regulations of the Election Commission. He added that name of gods or religious symbols were not used for the campaign.
The NDA candidate said he had not used the words Sabarimala temple or Ayyappa. Stating that Sabarimala was the name of a region, Suresh Gopi said he had not made any statements that could spark religious tension.
The MP also sought more time to give a detailed explanation after consulting with his legal advisers.
The controversial statement from Suresh Gopi came out during the NDA election convention in Thrissur on Saturday. “If Ayyappa is an emotion, its waves will reach the entire country and not just the state” were his words at the convention. The NDA candidate also had said he was seeking votes in the context of the Sabarimala issue.
Following this, Collector and electoral officer T V Anupama issued a notice to Suresh Gopi asking him to reply within 48 hours.
If the Collector grants more time to Suresh Gopi to file a detailed reply, the MP will move forward with the legal formalities. However, if the Collector rejects the reply and issues a warning to Suresh Gopi, the candidate is likely to face the matter through legal means.
Meanwhile, BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai is expected to reach Thrissur in the evening to take stock of the situation and to possibly discuss the party’s next move on the matter.
