Malayalam actor and former BJP Rajya Sabha member Suresh Gopi, who has been nominated as the president of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata and chairman of its governing council, is unlikely to take charge.
Sources close to Suresh Gopi said the actor was unhappy that the decision to appoint him as SRFTI president was taken without consulting him. He came to know about the appointment only through television channels and reportedly expressed displeasure over not being informed about the nomination earlier.
The nomination came at a time when Gopi is active in politics involving himself in the organisation of a padayatra on 2 October, Gandhi Jayanthi day in Thrissur against the Karuvannur co-operative bank fraud and taking up the cause of depositors of the Bank who are still in distress.
An estimated Rs 300-crore co-operative bank scam has been unearthed in Karuvannur co-operative bank of Trissur. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting a probe into the scam.
Suresh Gopi has been active in the Thrissur constituency for the last few years. People associated with him were hopeful that the Central leadership would nominate him to contest from Thrissur constituency in the next Lok Sabha elections. It is doubtful whether he would be able to continue in active politics and contest polls while holding the office of the president of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI).
Pointing this out, many supporters of Suresh Gopi have come out on social media questioning the appointment. However, Suresh Gopi has not yet made any public comments on the matter
It has been alleged that Suresh Gopi was given the new assignment when the elections are close because of the rift within the state BJP. Some say, the nomination is meant to sideline him. People close to Suresh Gopi are suspecting that his appointment as SRFTI president is a deliberate move to prevent him from contesting from the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency in the upcoming polls
It is learnt that Suresh Gopi is likely to inform the BJP central leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his discontent in person
Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran on Friday denied the allegation that Gopi’s appointment as SRFTI president is a deliberate move to prevent him from contesting from the Thrissur Lok Sabha. He said Gopi would be fielded as the party’s candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Trissur, where he had contested in the 2019.