Daijiworld Media Network – Kannur

Kannur, Oct 13: Union minister and actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi has expressed his desire to return to acting, stating that his film career has come to a halt since assuming ministerial responsibilities.

Speaking at an event in Kannur, the Thrissur MP said his income had dropped significantly after becoming a minister. “I really want to continue acting. I need to earn more; my income has now stopped completely,” Gopi said candidly.

The minister of state for petroleum and natural gas and tourism added that he had never aspired to be a minister. “A day before the elections, I told reporters that I did not want to become a minister — I wanted to continue with my cinema career,” he said.

Gopi also remarked that he is the youngest member in his party and suggested that Rajya Sabha MP C Sadanandan Master be considered to take his place as union minister. “I took membership of the party in October 2008. I was the first MP chosen by the people, and the party felt they needed to make me a minister,” he added.

Earlier this year, President Droupadi Murmu had nominated BJP veteran Sadanandan Master from Kannur to the Rajya Sabha.

Meanwhile, addressing recent controversies, Gopi said his words were often twisted or misinterpreted. Referring to criticism over his use of the word ‘praja’ for the people of his constituency, he said, “What is wrong with using the word praja?”

Giving an example, Gopi noted how the term ‘manual scavengers’ had been replaced by ‘sanitation engineers’, emphasizing that language evolves with time and intent should not be misread. “The usage of ‘praja’ and ‘prajatantra’ was twisted by my opponents,” he said, reiterating his commitment to serving people while maintaining his artistic identity.