BJP’s Suresh Gopi withdraws comment calling for upper-castes to lead tribal affairs ministry

Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Kerala Suresh Gopi sparked an uproar on Sunday by suggesting that an upper-caste person be made the Minister for Tribal Affairs while someone from the backward castes be appointed as minister for empowerment of upper-caste groups, PTI reported.

Responding to backlash, the actor-turned-politician later withdrew his comments.

“This is another curse of our country that a non-tribal person cannot be the Minister for Tribal Affairs,” Gopi had said while campaigning for the BJP in East Delhi’s Mayur Vihar area, which has a significant Malayali population.

The Assembly elections in Delhi will be held on Wednesday. The votes will be counted on Saturday.

Gopi also said: “It is my wish and dream that an upper-caste person should become the tribal affairs minister for the empowerment of the tribal community. If there is a tribal person, who is supposed to become tribal affairs minister, the person should be made the minister for the empowerment of the upper-caste community. This change should happen in our democratic system.”

“Let a Brahmin or Naidu look after affairs of tribals, there will be a big change,” he added. “I have made this request to Modi ji, but there are certain customs for these things.”

Gopi claimed he had requested Prime Minister Narendra…

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