New Delhi: Union Minister Suresh Gopi has said that he never said Perunna, the headquarters of the Nair Service Society (NSS), should be purified. Indirectly blaming the media, Suresh Gopi said that his remarks made two months ago at the inauguration of the Mannam Smriti Mandapam in Delhi were distorted.

“Words were twisted. Even the word ‘shuddhi’ (purity/purification) was misunderstood. Some even misrepresented the act of cleansing hands while singing Vande Mataram,” Suresh Gopi alleged. He was speaking upon arriving to attend the inauguration of the Global Nair Summit.

The Global Nair Summit, jointly organised by the Global Nair Samajam and NSS Delhi, was inaugurated by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. She stated that people from all parts of the country, including Keralites, have contributed to the growth of Delhi. Under the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’, Delhi is growing day by day, and Keralites are hard-working people, Rekha Gupta added.

She also assured that the demand to erect a statue of Mannathu Padmanabhan in Delhi would be considered and that everything possible would be done to achieve this. The assurance came after NSS Delhi President M K G Pillai led a delegation to submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister, requesting the installation of Mannam's statue and the inclusion of Chattampi Swamikal's teachings in the school curriculum.

Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi inaugurated the convention. Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated the Vidyadhiraja Utsav. Moral spiritual teacher Dr Mohanji delivered the benedictory address. Swami Nijamritananda Puri, Administrative Director of Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, launched the Sree Vidyadhiraja Vidyapeeth curriculum initiated under the leadership of NSS Delhi.

S S S Nair, chairman of Global Nair Samajam, presided over the function. NSS Delhi President M K G Pillai, general secretary M D Jayaprakash, Babu Panicker, Shivaprasad Nair, among others, attended the event.