Kochi: Union Minister Suresh Gopi has expressed concern over the series of ship accidents occurring along the Kerala coast. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he said it was "a matter of concern" and that the issue was also affecting the fishing community.

“This is the second accident to occur within the span of a few days. Let the state decide whether legal action is necessary. If there are security-related concerns, the Centre will certainly intervene,” said Suresh Gopi.

Responding to a question on the AIIMS project in Kerala, the minister said that the state government had submitted only one location as an option for the project. “Three options should have been submitted. If the state is being so rigid about that one option, then the reasons behind it should be investigated,” he said.

He also added that before the end of his tenure, he would announce the AIIMS project for Kerala, and that he would return to seek votes in the next election only after laying its foundation stone—regardless of any disputes over the site.

Commenting on Operation Sindoor, Gopi said that the entire world was praising the Prime Minister for it, and that Shashi Tharoor could also join in that praise. “Whether Tharoor’s stance has any Sangh proclivity is for him to clarify,” he added.

Recollecting his statements from 2019 about extending the Kochi Metro, the minister said he was mocked at the time, but the project is now close to becoming a reality.

“In 2019, when I spoke about the metro, I was ridiculed. It was not a mere promise. Saying that it would reach Coimbatore or Palakkad, Paliyekkara, or Chalakudy, Nedumbassery... was a dream. Back then, it could only be presented as a dream. When I contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, I raised it again. Even now, it remains a dream, but there is a situation where it is nearing reality. When I spoke about it in 2019, the reaction was that the ‘Kochi Metro’ is something confined to Kochi,” he said.

He added that he had discussed the matter with Manohar Lal Khattar, the Union Minister for Housing, Urban Affairs and Energy, who had suggested that a Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) would be more suitable for Kerala.

“The metro extension to Nedumbassery has been confirmed. From there, it would go to Angamaly, then cross over to the northern side of Kodungallur, connecting Nattika, Thriprayar, Chettuva, and reaching Guruvayur, Ponnani and Tirur. This would provide people in those regions with a proper rail experience. Travel would be faster than with the metro,” Gopi said.