Political ideologies are preventing central plans from reaching Kerala, says Suresh Gopi

The people of Kerala could not benefit from several schemes of the central government due to political opposition, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi said here on Monday (Jun 15, 2026).

He said it should be investigated why the benefits of schemes like Ayushman Bharat and PM-SHRI are not reaching the people of the state, especially the youth. Pointing to political opposition to such plans, the BJP leader said denying their benefits to the state was against the spirit of cooperative federalism.

He launched a seminar on ‘Viksit Kerala with Viksit Bharat’ as part of the 12th anniversary celebrations of the Narendra Modi-led central government.

“We can call Kerala the heart or brain of Bharat. But the fact is that although the central government wants to distribute its benefits equally to all, they will not reach Kerala. We know that political ideologies should not be an obstacle to that. But we also cannot impose these plans on people,” he said.

Mr. Gopi said the Modi government has introduced more than 350 schemes touching various aspects of life in the last 12 years. He called India’s young population, which constitutes about 70% of the country’s population, its muscle power. BJP Ernakulam Municipal President presided over the meeting.

Published – 15 Jun 2026 21:52 IST