Kerala Blast: Political leaders from various parties came together to condemn the Sunday morning blasts at a religious gathering in Kochi, Kerala, which resulted in two fatalities and left at least 35 people injured. However, the opposition, notably the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), used the opportunity to criticize the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, claiming a deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
Government’s Response
The Kerala government’s primary focus is currently on conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the incident as “very unfortunate” and assured that top officials and the Director General of Police (DGP) were involved in the case. He emphasized the seriousness with which the government was treating the matter and vowed to provide more details once the investigation was complete.
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan expressed his shock and termed the incident a horrific tragedy. He emphasized that such incidents were unacceptable in a democracy and a rule-of-law society. Governor Khan also condemned the use of the blast to disrupt the congregation and called for strong law and order enforcement actions to prevent such incidents from recurring.
The BJP criticized the state government, with Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan stating that Kerala appeared to be becoming a “hotbed” for incidents with characteristics of terrorist acts. He highlighted concerns about the bomb blast at a convention center during a Christian community prayer meeting and the need for intervention by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Allegations of Government-Organization Connections
BJP leader Anil Antony, who recently switched from the Congress, alleged that the state government was complicit with fundamentalist organizations. He pointed to recent activities, including a virtual address by former Hamas chief Khaled Mashal in Kerala, as reasons for concern. Antony called for NIA involvement and criticized the LDF government’s relationship with these organizations.
Congress and Unity Against Violence
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor expressed shock and dismay over the bomb attack at the religious gathering in Kerala. He condemned the incident and called for swift police action. Tharoor also urged religious leaders to unite in condemning such acts of violence and emphasized the need to teach followers that violence only begets more violence.
Kerala’s Law and Industries Minister, P Rajeev, announced that the Chief Minister has called for an all-party meeting on the issue. He encouraged everyone to refrain from engaging in fake social media campaigns and highlighted Kerala’s history of facing such situations with unity.
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