New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday condemned the blasts at a Christian religious gathering in Kerala with Rahul Gandhi saying that the government must conduct a thorough probe and bring the guilty to justice.
“We strongly condemn the bomb blast attack at a Convention Centre in Ernakulam, Kerala. Hate, divisiveness and terror have zero space in a civilised society,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
Those who foster violence must be dealt with an iron hand, he said.
“We stand together with the victims. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured,” Kharge said.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said the bomb blasts during a prayer meeting were deeply distressing and condemnable.
“My condolences to the bereaved family, and I hope for a quick recovery for those injured,” he said.
“There is no place for hatred and violence in a civilized society. The government must conduct a thorough probe and bring the guilty to justice,” the former Congress president said.
Condemning the blasts, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the entire country is united against such cowardly acts and appealed to the government to ensure strict action against the perpetrators.
In a post in Hindi on X, she said, “The blast that took place during a prayer meeting in Kerala is extremely unfortunate and condemnable.”
“There can be no place for violence and bloodshed in a civilized society. The entire country is united against such cowardly acts,” she said.
Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said the party demands a fair and prompt investigation “to unearth the conspiracy being hatched against Kerala and its tradition of unity in diversity”.
The atmosphere of Kerala will not and cannot be poisoned by these forces. Congress Party appeals to the people of Kerala to come together and defeat these poisonous elements, he said.
State Police Chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that according to the preliminary probe, an improvised explosive device (IED) was used to carry out the blasts.
The blasts occurred in the hall where hundreds of followers of Jehovah’s Witnesses had assembled on the concluding day of their three-day-long prayer meeting.
Jehovah’s Witnesses is a Christian religious group that originated in the United States of America in the 19th century.
(Published 29 October 2023, 16:46 IST)