Actor-Turned-Politician Suresh Gopi Lands In 'Vishu Kaineettam' Row

The ancient practice of giving 'vishu kaineettam' has landed actor-turned-politician and BJP MP, Suresh Gopi in a controversy in Kerala as netizens criticised him after a video in which he was seen sitting in a car distributing money and people touching his feet accepting their 'kaineettam', went viral on social media platforms.

According to Hindu custom, a small amount of money would be given to children, elderly and women as "kaineettam" with a blessing that wealth will multiply as part of the harvest festival Vishu, which falls on April 15 this year.

The national award-winning actor, whose tenure as Rajya Sabha MP would end later this month, had organised a mass 'vishu kaineettam' distribution campaign earlier this week in Thrissur, where he unsuccessfully contested in the last Assembly polls.

Besides BJP activists, he also distributed one rupee currency note as 'kaineettam' to people from various walks of life including children and elderly across the district.

In the controversial video, Mr Gopi could be seen sitting in a car distributing money while people including women queued in front of him to accept their 'kaineettam'.

Many of them could be seen touching his feet seeking his blessings after accepting money.

The actor-turned MP had to face criticism on social media as many netizens opined that it was not appropriate for him to allow people, especially women, to touch his feet.

However, those who came out supporting Mr Gopi said touching the feet after accepting the 'kaineettam' is also part of Hindu customs.

Calling his critics "choriyan makrikkoottam" (which can be roughly translated as "an army of irritating tadpoles"), the leader said they could not find the virtue of 'vishu kaineettam' and the good intention behind what he did.

Also terming the criticism against him as "intolerance", Mr Gopi said he was not seeking votes but was giving 'kaineettam' to children and elderly.

As the issue triggered a row, the organisers of a function, held in Thiruvananthapuram in which the actor distributed 'kaineettam' to BJP workers on Wednesday, requested them not to touch Mr Gopi's feet after accepting their gift.

Meanwhile, the 'kaineettaam' triggered another row when the BJP MP gave money to the Melsanthi (chief priest) of the famed Vadakkumnathan Temple here to distrubute money to devotees on the Vishu day.

Though the BJP claimed that there was nothing wrong for temple priests to accept money from individuals to distribute "kaineettam" to devotees visiting temples on the Vishu day, the ruling CPI(M)'s local leaders came out against it.

Following that, the Cochin Devaswom Board, the temple body which manages the Vadakkumnathan shrine, the other day issued an order banning priests under its temples from accepting money from outside to distribute "vishu kaineettam".

However, the Devaswom Board order reportedly did not have any mention about the actor's name.

As a mark of protest, the district BJP leadership here distributed one rupee currency to people in front of the temple here. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)