Kerala blasts toll rises to three, Pinarayi Vijayan criticises Union minister’s ‘communal’ remarks

The toll from a series of blasts at a convention centre of a Christian religious group in Kerala’s Ernakulam reached three on Monday, reported PTI.

On Sunday, at least two big explosions occurred at a Jehovah’s Witnesses gathering in the Kalamassery municipality area. The blasts took place at around 9.30 am when around 2,500 Jehovah’s Witnesses from across the state had gathered for a prayer session at the Zamra International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Soon after, a man named Dominic Martin surrendered to the police in the Thrissur district and claimed responsibility for the blasts.

A 12-year-old girl, identified as Libina from Malayattoor, succumbed to her injuries at the Kalamassery Government Medical College Hospital in the early hours of Monday. She was admitted with severe burns covering 95% of her body and was on ventilator support. Two women had earlier lost their lives and nearly 40 people were injured.

Before surrendering to the authorities, Martin had said in a social media post that he was enraged at the “teachings” of the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation, reported The Hindu. The post was later deleted.

“I was a ‘non-serious’ member of the congregation for 16 years,” Martin had said. “Six years ago, I found that their teachings were ‘anti-national’. The denomination’s leadership refused to pay heed, although I had...

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