Kerala's first BJP MP Suresh Gopi has put his party in a bind after calling Indira Gandhi the "mother of India" and for "admiring" two yesteryear Congress and CPM stalwarts.

The actor-turned-politician and former Rajya Sabha member, who was recently made the minister of state for tourism in the NDA government, commented after paying floral tributes at the memorial of former chief minister and Congress stalwart K. Karunakaran whom his friends and adversaries called "leader", in Thrissur on Saturday.

He also paid respects at the memorial of Karunakaran's wife Kalyanikutty Amma at their home in Thrissur where their daughter Padmaja Venugopal, who had quit the Congress to join the BJP ahead of the recent elections, was also present.

Gopi not only wrested the Thrissur seat from the Congress he also pushed party candidate and son of Karunakaran, K. Muraleedharan to third place. When asked about the visit, Gopi told reporters that he couldn't bid farewell to Karunakaran and his wife whom he called "mother".

"I always saw him (Karunakaran) as the father of the Congress in Kerala, just like Indira Gandhi is the mother of India. There were other leaders before and after him (in Congress). But I always admired him,” he said, citing the reason for paying tributes at the memorial.

On his recent visit to the residence of former chief minister E.K. Nayanar, one of the revered CPM leaders in the state, in Kannur, Gopi said he saw the two leaders as his "political gurus".

"They are the two most important political personalities that I admire although they didn’t belong to my stream of politics,” he said when asked about his visits to the residence of two tallest non-BJP leaders who adorned the Kerala political landscape.

On June 12, Gopi called on Nayanar’s widow Sarada "teacher" at her home in Kannur.

Gopi also said that while Karunakaran was the leader who did most of the work for Kerala, the next best would be only BJP’s O. Rajagopal and no one else.

"I have said this often. Though the Congress and communists may not like it, ‘leader’ Karunakaran did the maximum work for Kerala. His influence on the ‘daiva sthambham’ (godly symbol) called Indira Gandhi has benefitted Kerala. Only Rajagopal could do anything close to that,” he said.

Anticipating adverse reactions from the BJP, Gopi quickly added: "I would like to say this once again just as a citizen even if somebody doesn’t like it.”

The admonition promptly hit the bull's eye when former minister of state for external affairs V. Muraleedharan while addressing a BJP press conference said: "I am fully convinced of what I have done. The people of Kerala are also convinced. Suresh Gopi was with me yesterday but he never said anything like that."

Gopi also visited the Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral in Thrissur and adorned the statue of Mother Mary with a rosary made of 20gm gold. He also sang a gospel song in praise of the Mother, an unusual gesture from a BJP leader.