Kozhikode (Kerala) [India]: After a video of actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi misbehaving with a woman journalist surfaced online, the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) on Saturday said that Suresh Gopi should admit his mistake and issue an apology.
Kerala Journalists’ Union state president MV Vineetha and general secretary R Kiran Babu demanded that Suresh Gopi admit his mistake and issue an apology to the journalist, as per a press release by the Kerala Union of Working Journalists.
“KUWJ will file a complaint against Suresh Gopi, who misbehaved with the journalist while interacting with media in women’s commission,” they added in the release.
“Other appropriate legal actions will be taken. This is an insult to all women who have taken up this profession,” the release stated.
“In the video, it can be seen that he placed his hand on the shoulder of a journalist who asked a question that he didn’t like, and she removed it. It is clear in the footage that even when this was repeated, the hand had to be removed. Whatever the justification, Suresh Gopi’s action is unacceptable,” KUWJ said in the release.
“This is highly condemnable and the union stands firm with the journalist,” the release stated.
The former Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopi has since tendered an apology after backlash claiming that he did not behave rudely with the journalist.
In a post on his Instagram account, Suresh Gopi said, “Shida was treated with affection in front of the media. I have never behaved rudely in public or otherwise in life. But I also think that whatever she feels about it should be respected.”
Meanwhile, Journalist Shida Jagath filed a complaint against Suresh Gopi for his behavior. She filed a complaint with the Commissioner, Kozhikode City.
