Suresh Gopi claims Pinarayi Vijayan had once invited him to join CPI (M)

Thiruvananthapuram: Union Minister Suresh Gopi claimed on Thursday that he had previously turned down an invitation to join the CPI(M) from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Gopi, the Union Minister of State for Petroleum, addressing an event here said: "Let him (Vijayan) deny it if he can. I said to him that I cannot join the party as I do not like politics. That was what I told all political leaders." However, due to certain incidents on August 2, 2014, he was forced to enter politics, Gopi said. He did not elaborate on the incidents.

"The CPI(M) tried to support me, but they could not," he claimed.

With PTI inputs