Fact Check: Serial Blast In Kerala Took Place At Prayer Meet Of Christian Community, Not Of Jews
The event being organised at the convention center in Kerala was of a Christian sect, ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’, and not of Jews. This shows that the claim that Jews were targeted is false. In this case, a person has surrendered before the police, who is claiming to belong to the same sect. However, its investigation is still going on.
- By: Sharad Prakash Asthana
- Published: Oct 31, 2023 at 01:20 PM
- Updated: Oct 31, 2023 at 03:13 PM
New Delhi (Vishvas News). Three people died in the bomb blasts that took place on October 29 in Kalamassery area of Ernakulam district of Kerala. A post regarding this is going viral on social media. In this, a collage of two videos is being shared with the claim that Khalid Mashal, leader of the terrorist organisation Hamas, addressed the people online at a programme in Kerala on October 28. The post claims that bomb blasts were carried out the next day targeting Jews in Kalamassery, Kerala. Some social media users are trying to instigate a community through this post.
Vishvas News investigation revealed that the blasts took place at a conference of the Christian sect ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’ in Kerala and not at a Jewish event. The responsibility for this attack was claimed by a person who said he belong to the same sect. However, the matter is still under investigation.
What Is Going Viral
X user ‘We The People’ (archive link), which is a verified account, posted a collage of the video and wrote, “Look at the chronology. Yesterday, Hamas terrorist Khaled Mashal, speaking online from Qatar at an event in Kerala, asked people to prepare for jihad and take to the streets of India… Today 4 bomb blasts rock #Kerala, where Jews live in Kalamassery! This is a coordinated terrorist attack.. today on Jews.. tomorrow on others! Wake up India”
Facebook user ‘Sapan Singh’ (archived link) also posted a collage of the video on October 29 with a similar claim.
Investigation
To investigate the viral claim regarding the Kerala blasts, we first searched about it on Google using keywords. The news published on NDTV website on October 29 reads, “New Delhi: Two women were killed and 45 people were injured in a series of blasts at a convention centre in Kerala’s Kalamassery today, sending shockwaves across the country. At least three blasts were reported within minutes after the prayer meeting started. The incident took place during a Jehovah’s Witnesses convention at the centre in Kalamassery, about 10 kilometres from Kochi. Hours after the blasts, a 48-year-old man claimed responsibility and surrendered. The suspect, Dominic Martin, has claimed that he belongs to the same Christian denomination that organised the prayer meet.”
A video reporting the incident can also be seen on CNBC-TV18’s YouTube channel. It states, “Man named Dominic Martin claims responsibility for the blast. We accessed the video message in which Dominic says he planted bomb as Jehova’s witnesses didn’t head to his warnings.”
According to a report published in The Indian Express on October 30, “The incident took place at the Zamra International Convention and Exhibition Centre at Kalamassery, where around 2,500 faithful from across the state had gathered for a prayer session. Dominic Martin, an estranged member of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who is now in police custody, posted a video on social media taking responsibility for the act.”
A post (archive link) published on the Facebook page of Kerala Police on October 29 reads, “The state police chief says that strict action will be taken against those sending messages spreading religious and communal hatred through social media. Sheikh Darvesh Saheb has given this warning in view of the Kalamassery incident. “Police have strengthened 24-hour monitoring on social media to detect accounts spreading such messages.” It also talks about taking action against those who post fake posts.
This was also posted from the official X handle of Kerala Police.
We contacted Kalamassery police station in-charge Vibin Das regarding this matter. He said, “The claim that Jews were targeted through blasts is wrong. This post is fake and do not share it.”
We also reached out to VP Pramod Kumar, Deputy Director (Public Relations) of the State Police Media Center. He said, “The claim that Jews were targeted in the Kerala blasts is baseless.”
According to the news published on India Today website on October 29, “Khalid Mashal, leader of terrorist organization Hamas, reportedly participated in the virtual rally organized in Malappuram, Kerala. In a video, Khalid Mashal can be seen addressing the people virtually. Regarding this rally, BJP state president K Surendran has raised questions on Kerala Police.”
We scanned the profile of an X user who made misleading claims about the Kerala blasts. Fake and misleading claims have been made by this handle before, which were investigated by Vishvas News.
Conclusion: The event being organised at the convention center in Kerala was of a Christian sect, ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’, and not of Jews. This shows that the claim that Jews were targeted is false. In this case, a person has surrendered before the police, who is claiming to belong to the same sect. However, its investigation is still going on.
- Claim Review : Bomb blasts were carried out targeting Jews in Kalamassery, Kerala.
- Claimed By : X user 'We The People' (archive link), which is a verified account, posted a collage of the video and wrote, “Look at the chronology. Yesterday, Hamas terrorist Khaled Mashal, speaking online from Qatar at an event in Kerala, asked people to prepare for jihad and take to the streets of India… Today 4 bomb blasts rock #Kerala, where Jews live in Kalamassery! This is a coordinated terrorist attack.. today on Jews.. tomorrow on others! Wake up India”
- Fact Check : Misleading
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