After senior BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar accussed Congress and the CPI(M) of practicing appeasement politics in wake of the blast at a convention centre in Kerala's Kamalassery area, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday slammed Union Minister and stated that "those who’re poisonous, will keep spitting poison," news agency ANI reported.
"One of the Union Minister made a statement that I am doing appeasement politics and protesting against Israel…he is a minister and he should give some minimum respect to the investigating agencies, the probe is underway," CM stated.
Linking the remarks to "spreading communalism," CM Vijayan stated: "In such a serious incident, at such an early stage, they are making such statements targeting a few set of people. This is based on their communal agenda but Kerala doesn’t have such an agenda, Kerala always stood against communalism…on what basis are these people targeting one community and giving a special angle…when the probe is going on, on what basis is he making such a statement by sitting at such a responsible position."
Earlier today, Chandrasekhar accused the Congress and the CPI(M) of appeasement tactics, claiming that the cost "will always be borne by innocents from all communities."
"Price of appeasement politics of Cong and CPM will always be borne by innocents of all communities - That is what history has taught us. Brazen appeasement politics - shameless even by Cong/CPM/UPA/INDI alliance standards to invite Terrorist Hamas to spread hate & call for "Jihad" in Kerala. This is height of irresponsible madness politics. Enough!" he posted on X.
Chandrasekhar also mentioned Hamas leader Khaled Mashal's virtual address at a pro-Palestine demonstration staged by the Kerala Youth Movement, the Jamaat-e-Islami's youth branch. According to Israel's ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, Mashal urged attendees in this gathering to come to the streets to express their outrage, plan assaults on Israel, financially assist Hamas, and propagate the Palestinian narrative on social media. Gilon also requested Indian authorities to include Hamas on the country's terror list.
Two persons were killed and at least 40 others were injured in a bomb at a conference hall in Kerala's Kamalassery region. At least ten persons were severely burned, accounting for more than half of those injured. According to a police official, the cause of the blast is unknown, and it apparently occurred inside a Christian group's conference hall.