Union Minister Suresh Gopi takes autorickshaw after official car fails to arrive at event

ALAPPUZHA: Union Minister Suresh Gopi had to take an autorickshaw after his official vehicle failed to arrive after an inauguration ceremony in Alappuzha. The incident has raised questions over a possible security lapse. Locals were surprised to see police vehicles escorting the autorickshaw carrying the Union minister.

A similar incident had happened months ago when Suresh Gopi attended events near Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur and at the Mannarasala Temple in Haripad. His official vehicle had been delayed on those occasions as well, and he had travelled by autorickshaw.

Suresh Gopi had arrived from his hotel in an official car around 10.30 am on Saturday to inaugurate a textile shop in Alappuzha. The event ended around 11 am. After waiting for about five minutes for his car, the minister took an autorickshaw and left. Security personnel told him that the car would arrive shortly, but he did not wait.

Locals were surprised to see the Union minister arriving at former MP Ariff’s house in an autorickshaw, escorted by police vehicles. Suresh Gopi paid the autorickshaw driver Rs 1,000.

He had visited Ariff’s family as he could not attend his daughter’s wedding on the 26th. The minister spent around half an hour with Arif and his family. He later travelled to Alappuzha railway station in the official vehicle that arrived there and took the Vande Bharat train to Thiruvananthapuram.

Police say there was no security lapse

The district police have maintained that there was no security lapse, even though the Union minister did not receive the level of priority normally given to public representatives, including MLAs.

The textile shop had made arrangements for his stay and other facilities. A pilot vehicle and an escort were provided for his journey from the hotel in Marari to the event venue.

According to district police officials, the official car was parked around 100 metres away from the textile shop because of the crowd and traffic. The minister took an autorickshaw after coming out of the shop and finding that the car was not nearby, they said