Hours after three explosions hit three churches and three luxury hotels in Sri Lanka, the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj assured Indians living in the country that the government is monitoring the situation. Further, Swaraj said that she was in touch with the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo.
The Union Minister has also shared the helpline numbers activated by the Indian High Commission in Colombo for Indians who wants to seek any sorts of assistance, help or clarification. The following are the helpline numbers: +94777902082 +94772234176.
Meanwhile, The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe has promised to keep to take immediate action and have urged people to avoid propagation of unverified reports and speculation.
The Sri Lankan Prime Minister has also called a national security council meeting at his home for later in the day. At least 185 people killed and more than 400 injured after Sri Lanka was rocked by six explosions on Sunday. Three churches - St Anthony's Church in Colombo, St Sebastian's Church in the western coastal town of Negombo and another church in the eastern town of Batticaloa - were targeted. Three explosions were reported from the five-star hotels, the Shangrila, the Cinnamon Grand and the Kingsbury.
The blasts occurred around 8.45 a.m. (local time) as the Easter Sunday masses were in progress in churches. The Easter Sunday blasts is said to be one of the biggest attacks since the end of the civil war 10 years ago in Sri Lanka.
According to National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL), an organisation that represents more than 200 churches, reported an estimate of 86 verified incidents of discrimination, threats and violence against Christians in 2018.
However, this year, the NCEASL recorded 26 such incidents, including one in which Buddhist monks allegedly attempted to disrupt a Sunday worship service, with the last one reported on March 25, mentioned Reuters.
As per Sri Lanka's 2012 census, out of the total 22 million population, 70 percent are Buddhist, 12.6 percent Hindu, 9.7 percent Muslim, and 7.6 percent Christian.
Also read: Sri Lanka blasts: 129 dead in multiple explosions in churches, hotels on Easter
(With agencies inputs)