Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala BJP vice president B Gopalakrishnan on Friday lashed out at the CPM for allegedly running a smear campaign against him following his public apology to former minister P K Sreemathi in a defamation case.

In a Facebook post, Gopalakrishnan accused CPM cadres of misrepresenting his expression of regret and attacking him on social media. He clarified that his apology was a voluntary act, not compelled by anyone.

“My decision to apologise reflects my political ethics and commitment to dignity in public life. I had only repeated an allegation made by a late political leader. Since I could not substantiate it, I chose to express regret,” he wrote.

Gopalakrishnan stated that Sreemathi had personally conveyed her distress over the remarks. Her legal counsel had also advised that the defamation case was weak and could be resolved with an apology.

The controversy stemmed from an allegation that Sreemathi’s son was involved in a fraudulent company, Medical Service Corporation, and that she had engaged in financial misconduct during her tenure as Kerala’s health minister from 2006 to 2011.

On Thursday, as part of the settlement, Gopalakrishnan publicly apologised before the media. “I regret the mental distress caused to Sreemathi Teacher. I have no evidence to support my claims,” he told reporters, standing beside her.

The case had initially been filed in the Kannur Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, but Gopalakrishnan later approached the High Court seeking to quash it. A settlement was reached after his formal apology.

Dismissing online criticism, Gopalakrishnan asserted that those attacking him were distorting facts without understanding the full context of the case.
(With PTI inputs)