Thrissur (Kerala) | Responding to the controversy surrounding naming school art festival venues in the state after names of flowers, Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi on Tuesday questioned why initially no venue was named after 'lotus' and asked why politics should be attributed to the name of the flower.

He said some misled the organisers by preventing them from naming a venue after 'Thamara' (Lotus).

There were reportedly protests by the BJP and its youth wing against the absence of the lotus from the names of the 24 Kerala School Kalolsavam (art festival) venues, which have been named after flowers.

In the wake of the protests, the government reportedly changed the name of one of the venues to 'Thamara'.

The Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism asked why politics should be attributed to the name, the lotus, while speaking to reporters here at a 'Kalolsavam' being held in Thrissur from January 14 to 18.

He was responding to a query regarding the controversy surrounding the name of one of the venues, which was reportedly changed to 'Thamara' (Lotus).

"Lotus is a national flower. It is just like a rose. How can we see politics in the Lotus? It is a flower used in poojas. No one will feel like burning it when they see it in a pond. Instead, we fall in love with it. So, if we view it with love, it will look beautiful. If we look at it politically, then it is the problem of the viewer," Gopi said.

He said that someone must have misled the organisers not to include the name of the Lotus.

"Otherwise, there was no need for the minister to re-decide (changing the name to Lotus). I will not say 'corrected', but re-decide. That is how I see it," he said.