THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopi, who unsuccessfully contested the recent assembly election on a BJP ticket, has landed the saffron party in a fix by supporting the LDF government's stance on the 'narcotic jihad' controversy.
Speaking to reporters, the MP said there was no need for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to respond on each and every issue. He said the government was intelligent and added that the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues were well aware of the current issues.
Suresh Gopi's statement has put the BJP in a tight spot as the saffron party had severely flayed the government for its "apathetic stance" on the 'narcotic jihad' row. Pala Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangattu’s recent statement on radical Islamists using narcotic drugs to corrupt Catholic and non-Muslim youth had triggered a major controversy in the state.
"The state government is doing whatever it can on the matter. If the government's stance goes against national security, I will react to it. As of now, there is no need to criticise the government on each and every issue," Suresh Gopi said.
The state government had ignored the demand of Opposition parties including the BJP that an all party meeting should be convened to discuss the 'narcotic jihad' issue. Suresh Gopi's response is seen as an endorsement of the government's stance that it need not react to statements uttered by those in responsible positions.