Union Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum Suresh Gopi on Saturday extolled former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, calling her “Mother of India.”

Speaking to media persons in Thrissur after visiting the memorial of late Congress leader Karunakaran at ‘Murali Mandiram’ located in Punkunnam, Suresh Gopi said that he views Indira Gandhi as ‘Mother of India’ and late Congress Chief Minister K Karunakaran as a courageous administrator.

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The BJP leader said there is no politics in his visit to the Karunakaran memorial and added that he came here to pay his respects to his guru. “I came here to perform ‘Gurutvam’ while sitting as a Union Minister,” he said. Earlier, he paid floral tributes at the memorial of K Karunakaran.

Union Minister Gopi has won Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency by defeating Karunakaran’s son and Congress leader K Muraleedharan, who finished third in a triangular contest in the April 26 polls. Karunakaran’s daughter Padmaja Venugopal is now in the BJP. She left the Congress and joined the BJP just before the Lok Sabha polls.

Later, Suresh Gopi also visited the famous Lourde Mata Church in Thrissur and offered prayers. Earlier, prior to the marriage of his daughter, the actor-politician had presented a golden crown to the idol of St Mary.