EMS to Pinarayi, only one CM had courage to take that historic decision

Advocate and political observer A Jayashankar reacted to Suresh Gopi's upper caste remarks. Jayashankar said that he has been saying what Suresh Gopi said in public forums of Kerala for years and that the latter’s style of language got him into trouble.

Adv Jayashankar's words
‘I have been saying the same opinion that Suresh Gopi said in public forums for a long time. From EMS Namboodiripad's ministry in 1957 to Pinarayi Vijayan's ministry in 2025, only the Scheduled Caste department was given to ministers from the Scheduled Caste community to rule. Why were people from Chathan Master to O Kelu not given departments like health or education?

There was only one to this. It was the ministry from 1982 to 1987. The then chief minister K Karunakaran handled the Scheduled Caste Welfare department. It was during Karunakaran's rule that many of the facilities that the Scheduled Castes enjoy today were given. He implemented special recruitment as well.

Later, in 1991, it was K Karunakaran who gave the Social Welfare Department to P K Velayudhan, a scheduled caste, and the Transport Department to K K Balakrishnan. No other chief minister has done so.’ Jayashankar clarified that this is what Suresh Gopi wanted to say.