Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan clapped back at Union minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar for his remarks in response to recent blasts in the state that sent shockwaves across the country. 3 people, including a 12-year-old girl, were killed and several injured after at least three blasts at a convention centre in Kerala’s Kalamassery.

“Those who are poisonous will keep spitting poison,” Vijayan said with an indirect reference to Chandrashekhar during a media interaction on Sunday, adding, “One of the Union Ministers made a statement that I am engaging in appeasement politics and protesting against Israel.”

Moments after the blast, the Union minister, on X (fomerly Twitter), slammed the Kerala CM for doing ‘appeasement politics’. Referred to the protest against the Israel-Hamas war that Vijayan participated in Delhi, Chandrashekhar said, “Sitting in Delhi and protesting against Israel, when in Kerala open calls by Terrorist Hamas for Jihad is causing attacks and bomb blasts on innocent Christians.”

Responding to the series of posts by Chandrashekhar, the Kerala CM questioned the ground on which the remarks were made.

“He is a minister and he should show a minimum level of respect to the investigating agencies. The probe is underway…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,” he said, asking, “On what basis are these people targeting one community and taking a specific angle? The probe is still ongoing, so on what basis is he making such a statement while holding such a responsible position?”