BJP Leader Suresh Gopi's 'Misbehaviour' With Kerala Woman Journalist Sparks Row

A video surfaced online purportedly showing Gopi placing his hand on a woman journalist's shoulder on Friday.

After a row erupted, Malayalam actor-politician Suresh Gopi tendered an apology to the woman journalist. 

(Photo: The Quint)

A day after a row erupted over his alleged misbehaviour with a woman journalist in Kerala, Malayalam actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suresh Gopi on Saturday, 28 October, issued an apology and said he had only "treated her with affection."

Meanwhile, the woman journalist, in a statement on Facebook, said she would move legally against the actor.

What happened? A video surfaced online on Friday, 27 October, purportedly showing Gopi placing his hand on the shoulder of the woman journalist, while speaking to mediapersons in Kozhikode district.

The incident took place when the journalist asked a question on the BJP's inability to secure a Lok Sabha seat in Kerala over the years. In response, Gopi said, "Let me give a try, dear. Let us wait." He said this reportedly while placing his hand on the woman journalist.

The journalist is seen removing his hand from her shoulder twice in the purported video.

Row over the incident: Soon after the video went viral on social media, several unions, including the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) and the Network of Women in Media, condemned the BJP leader's alleged misbehaviour with the journalist.

The KUWJ termed Gopi's behaviour an "insult" to all working women and demanded an unconditional apology from him, news agency PTI reported.

The union also said that it would file a complaint with the Women's Commission and pursue legal action against Suresh Gopi.

Suresh Gopi's apology: Tendering his apology via a Facebook post, the former BJP Rajya Sabha MP said that he had never been disrespectful to anyone in his life on or off the stage and apologised to her "if she had suffered any mental agony due to my behaviour."

"I have never behaved inappropriately in public or otherwise in life. But, in my opinion, whatever she feels about it should be respected. I apologise if she felt bad or suffered emotional distress in any way. Sorry," he said in Malayalam.

However, the woman journalist said in her statement:

"I saw his apology on social media. He should be saying that I found his behaviour wrong. Instead, he should be realising that his behaviour was problematic. He touched me without my consent. His apology didn't feel like an apology, it felt like an explanation."