After Union Minister George Kurien sparked controversy, another minister from Kerala is making headlines for the wrong reasons. Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi said an upper-caste person should become the tribal affairs minister.
Suresh Gopi said he requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give him the tribal affairs portfolio but there are some rules regarding that does not allow this. He went on to say that if an upper-caste person becomes the minister, there will be major changes in the tribal affairs department.
He was speaking while addressing an election campaign meeting organised by the BJP Kerala unit in Delhi's Mayur Vihar.
The minister doubled down on his desire to head the tribal affairs portfolio, saying he did not ask for civil aviation.
"It is a curse on our country that the tribal minister can never be a non-tribal person. Let a person from the adivasi community be made a minister for the welfare of forward castes. This transformation should take place in our democratic system," he said.
"Let a Brahmin or Naidu head the tribal affairs. There will be a big difference," the actor-turned-politician added.