His party seeks CPM MLA’s ouster over sexual misconduct allegations, BJP’s Suresh Gopi says ‘let courts decide first’

From the outset of the scandal, which has spiralled after the Hema Committee report came to light, the BJP in Kerala has been demanding Mukesh’s resignation. On Monday, the Yuva Morcha, the party’s youth wing, took out a march to his residence in Kollam to press for the demand.

The same day, Gopi, the party’s lone MP from the state and Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism, was asked about the allegations about Mukesh. While referring to the media, he said, “Did court say anything on Mukesh? Court will say… This is all food for you, is what I understand. You can use it to make money. (There is) no problem with that. But these issues are before the court, and it has the intelligence to arrive at a decision regarding them. You (media) are not only making people fight each other for your own gains, you are also misleading public perception. The complaints are in the form of allegations at the moment. What are you telling people? Let the court decide.”

He said the issues regarding the actors’ association, AMMA, should be raised with him only when he comes out of the AMMA office. “When I come down from the house, you can ask me about home matters, and when I am coming from the office, you can ask about office matters,” he said.

Hours later, BJP state president K Surendran said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should seek Mukesh’s resignation. “Suresh Gopi may have his views on the issue as an actor. But the party’s stand is that Mukesh should quit and we will go ahead accordingly. There is no change in the party stand. This is a clear political issue,” he said.