Kerala blast: Opposition calls for State Govt to address ‘hate campaign’, all party meet resolves to resist efforts to create mistrust, intolerance

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 30 (ANI): A day after multiple explosions rocked a public meeting in Kalamassery, Kerala, Opposition parties in the State have called out the ‘hate campaign’ in social media and urged the state government to address the situation.

An all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was held in Thiruvananthapuram today in the wake of the blasts.

The meeting unanimously resolved to urge people not to indulge in baseless accusations, speculative campaigns and rumour-mongering in the wake of the blasts, a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.

Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly and Congress leader VD Satheesan said that the State will unitedly address the situation adding that the Opposition will support the State government in taking action against the culprits.

“There was some hate campaign through social media after the incident. Irresponsible statements were made by some leaders, including a central minister. Kerala will be united to address the situation. We support the government in taking action against the culprits. We demanded to strengthen the intelligence machinery in Kerala. We want the government to address the hate campaign happening on social media,” Satheesan said.

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader PK Kunhalikutty said that the media and social media should also behave responsibly in such critical situations adding that posts promoting hatred cannot be supported.

“The major concern of all the parties is that Kerala should not be communally divided. Such an incident is unusual in Kerala, and the state government has agreed to strengthen vigilance. The government and opposition maintained proper discipline in handling the matter. The media and especially social media should also behave more responsibly. Posts that promote hatred cannot be supported,” Kunhalikutty said.

The meeting convened in the State Secretariat this morning saw participation by Congress leader VT Belram, NCP leader PC Chacko, JDS leader Mathew T Thomas, Kerala Congress leader Monce Joseph, CPI leader P Sudheer, BJP leader C Krishna Kumar and ministers K Rajan, Roshi Augustin, Antony Raju, A K Sasindran, Kadannapally Ramachandran and CPI (M) state secretary M V Govindan.

Chief Minister Vijayan had on Sunday slammed BJP leader and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar for his “appeasement politics” remarks over the blasts at the convention centre. Vijayan was responding to Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s posts of “dirty shameless appeasement politics by a discredited Chief Minister.”

“Dirty shameless appeasement politics by a discredited CM (and HM) @pinarayivijayan besieged by corruption charges Sitting in Delhi and protesting against Israel, when in Kerala open calls by Terrorist Hamas for Jihad is causing attacks and bomb blasts on innocent Christians,” Chandrasekhar posted on X.

Meanwhile, State Health Minister Veena George visited the injured earlier today at the Kalamassery Government Medical College Hospital and said that 17 people are battling burn injuries in yesterday’s explosion with 12 of them in intensive care units.

According to an earlier statement, the death toll in Sunday’s multiple blasts at the Zamra International Convention and Exhibition Centre rose to three after a 12-year-old girl identified as Libina from Malayattoor succumbed to her injuries in the early hours today. According to Dr Ganesh Mohan, Medical Superintendent of the Kalamassery Government Medical College Hospital, the girl who suffered 95 per cent burns and was ventilator support succumbed at 12.40 am.

Earlier, two women who were participating in the prayer convention of the Christian group, Jehovah’s Witnesses died after Sunday’s blasts.

A man identified as Dominic Martin posted a video on Facebook claiming responsibility for the attacks. He later surrendered at the Kodakara police station in Thrissur. The police, however, said that they have yet to verify Martin’s claims.

According to the police, preliminary investigation suggests that IEDs (improvised Explosive Devices) were used to trigger the blasts.

Following the incidents, Chief Minister Vijayan announced a 20-member probe team to investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, the resolution after today’s party meeting by Chief Minister Vijayan read that the peculiar social situation of peace, brotherhood and equality is one of the important factors that have made Kerala the centre of attention of the world itself. Keralites have a tradition of being committed to maintaining this atmosphere at the cost of their lives.

“However, we know that there are people who are intolerant of this general social situation, which is the pride of Kerala, and who are eager to eliminate it. This meeting makes it clear that at any cost we will ensure that Kerala moves ahead with one mind, overcoming their isolated attempts at fragmentation,” it read.

“All the people are requested to stand united to single out any attempt to malign Kerala, its proud secular tradition, cultural heritage and social distinctiveness, based on any isolated incident.

“This meeting makes it clear that Kerala is of one mind in this regard and that peace, communal harmony and secular harmony beyond differences will be strengthened at all levels,” the all party resolution read.