Kerala actor and BJP politician Suresh Gopi has been criticised by press groups for inappropriate behaviour towards a woman journalist.
Suresh Gopi, #Malayalam film actor & #BJP Rajya Sabha Ex MP from #Kerala, look how indecently he places his hands on a female reporter asking him questions, she had to take his hand off the second time he did it! His speech and body language all inappropriate!
— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) October 28, 2023
Shame on… pic.twitter.com/zpHjBZtmn1
In a video of the interaction that took place in Kozhikode, the journalist from MediaOne asked Gopi a question. He placed his hand on her shoulder and kept it there even as she drew away. He repeated the gesture, trying to place his hand on her again.
Mathrubhumi reported that the journalist said it was “wrong to touch someone else’s body without permission” and that she was planning to take legal action.
The Kerala Union of Working Journalists demanded that Gopi apologise, saying it would file a complaint with the women’s commission. The Kerala chapter of the Network of Women in Media, India strongly condemned Gopi’s behaviour, calling it a case of “workplace harassment”.
Gopi later said he had “merely tried to move her to one side” and that he was “willing to apologise to her like a father”, Malayala Manorama reported. He also posted an apology on Facebook saying he has “never misbehaved” with anyone.
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