Thiruvananthapuram: Soon after actor-politician Suresh Gopi announced his appointment as a member of the Coconut Development Board on Saturday, KPCC President K Sudhakaran labelled the move an attempt by the Centre to saffronise the statutory body that comes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
On Friday, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, had introduced the Coconut Development Board (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Rajya Sabha.
The bill was later passed amidst opposition protests over the Pegasus spyware case.
Sudhakaran said passing bills that benefit the government after creating tension in the country was a Sangh Parivar style. He said the union government was taking control of cooperatives either illegally or using force.
The Congress leader said Suresh Gopi's appointment was BJP's attempt to take control of the Board. Sudhakaran said that Congress will use all possible means to oppose the union's move to take control of the facilities put in place to help farmers.
Earlier, Gopi had tweeted his appointment from the Rajya Sabha claiming he will try his best "to do justice to the new responsibility".
Soon after, Kerala BJP President K Surendran also tweeted congratulating his colleague. "His appointment will help to solve the problems faced by coconut farmers in Kerala. I wish him a very productive and successful tenure," Surendran tweeted.
