Kerala bomb blasts: Serious incident, says CM Vijayan; CPI-M secretary links it to Palestine issue

Bomb blasts at a gathering of Christian sect Jehovah's Witnesses in Kerala's Kalamassery took place when chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and many of his party and ministerial colleagues were in New Delhi to participate in a dharna of the CP-M central committee members against the Israeli attack in Gaza.

Vijayan told journalists before rushing back to state: "It's a very unfortunate incident. We are collecting details regarding the incident. All top officials are there in Ernakulam. DGP is moving to the spot. We are taking it very seriously. I have spoken to DGP. We need to get more details after the investigation."

CPI-M state secretary MV Govindan, who too was at the dharna, wondered if the blasts were designed to divert attention from the solidarity for the Palestine cause. When questioned about his claim, Govindan said: "We still have to investigate if there is a connection to the Palestine issue. But looking at it politically, such an incident in this context seems to be associated with terror activities. But we have to examine the situation seriously and establish the cause."


The CPI-M dharna follows separate rallies organised by the Indian Union Muslim League and some Jamaat-i-Islami groups in the state over the Israeli action in Gaza.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said: "To see my state falling prey to the mentality of killing and destruction is tragic. I urge all religious leaders to unite in condemning such barbarism and teaching their followers that violence achieves nothing but more violence."