Thiruvananthapuram: Leaders from various political parties in Kerala convened for an all-party meeting on Monday to address the aftermath of the blasts that occurred at a Jehovah's Witnesses convention in Kalamassery on Sunday.
The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and attended by Opposition Leader V D Satheesan and representatives from different parties, issued a resolution urging people to stand united against efforts to tarnish the peaceful and harmonious social fabric of the state.
The resolution underscored Kerala's commitment to maintaining its peaceful and harmonious social milieu, emphasizing that isolated attempts to disrupt this unity would be overcome. It acknowledged the existence of individuals intolerant of Kerala's social situation and expressed the collective will to thwart any efforts at disintegration.
The resolution categorically stated that forces promoting hatred against faith or fostering suspicion towards a community must be considered common enemies of the country and its people.
Furthermore, the resolution called on citizens to remain vigilant against baseless allegations and rumours, reinforcing Kerala's unity in strengthening religious harmony and peace. It condemned any attempts to erode mutual understanding, interdependence, and collective survival, vowing to defeat such efforts with strength and resilience.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took a strong stance against BJP leader and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar for what he termed 'communal remarks' regarding the explosions. Vijayan commended the media for responsibly reporting the incident without spreading fear but criticized those attempting to use the opportunity to target a specific community.
Chandrasekhar's comments on social media were highlighted during the press meeting, where he accused the Kerala CM and the ruling CPI(M) of engaging in 'dirty, shameless, appeasement politics' by showing solidarity towards Palestine during the Israel-Hamas issue.
Vijayan, without directly naming Chandrasekhar, rebuked the comments, stating that targeting a particular community without evidence is part of a communal agenda. He affirmed that the state government is committed to ensuring that the culprits responsible for the blasts are held accountable, but stressed that using the incident to propagate communal hatred would face strict consequences.
The Chief Minister emphasized the need for a fair investigation without prejudiced assumptions, asserting that actions such as those by Chandrasekhar only served to disrupt the social harmony of the state.
The government's firm stance against the politicization of the incident and commitment to maintaining religious harmony and peace were reiterated throughout the press meeting.