Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 17 — Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi on Thursday praised the Kerala government led by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, saying the Centre was receiving unprecedented cooperation from the state in taking forward development projects.
Gopi said the state government was now extending support in a manner that had not been seen during the previous 10 years.
He said he could approach Chief Minister Satheesan and other members of the state government on matters concerning development and central projects.
"Today, we can approach Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and others for anything," he said.
He said the improved coordination between the Centre and the state would help bring more Central government projects to Kerala.
Gopi's remarks assume significance as the BJP and the Congress-led state government have often been political rivals in Kerala.
His comments indicate a willingness to work with the new state government on development projects despite political differences.
Gopi also came out in support of the police action in the recent raid on the office of Reporter TV in connection with the investigation into alleged financial fraud.
Defending the police action, he said raids were part of normal procedure and could take place at any time.
He questioned the different reactions to police searches depending on whether the person being searched was a journalist or an ordinary citizen.
"When police enter the house of an ordinary person, nobody usually reacts," he said.
Gopi said officials conducting searches would normally take possession of phones and carry out inspections as part of the procedure.
He also rejected the suggestion that journalists should be treated differently during such searches, saying journalists were also ordinary citizens.
His remarks come amid a political controversy over the police action against Reporter TV and its Managing Editor Anto Augustine.
Opposition parties and others have questioned whether the action could have implications for media freedom.
The Kerala government has maintained that the police action was connected to the investigation into alleged serious offences and had nothing to do with the functioning of the media organisation or its news coverage.
Gopi, however, backed the police action and questioned the basis of objections raised in the name of press freedom.
Asked specifically about media freedom in the context of the raid, the Union Minister responded sharply, asking the questioner: "Who are you?"
His comments on both issues, cooperation with the Satheesan government and the Reporter TV raid, came at a time when relations between the Centre and the newly elected state government are being closely watched.
While the BJP remains the principal political opponent of the Congress in Kerala, Gopi's statement suggested that political differences need not stand in the way of cooperation on development projects.
His support for the police action, meanwhile, is likely to add another dimension to the ongoing debate over the raid and the limits of police powers when a media organisation is involved.