New Delhi, May 03: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today asked the Kerala government to bring to book those responsible for the communal violence at Marad beach in which nine people were killed. "I am most pained and distressed at the eruption of communal violence in Marad in which a number of people have been killed and even more injured", Gandhi said in a statement. "I am confident that the state government will bring the culprits responsible for this gruesome tragedy to book expeditiously and will provide every assistance to the affected families", she said. "I am also confident that the state government will strive its utmost to prevent the recurrence of such episodes every where but especially in sensitive areas", she said. Ms. Gandhi expressed her heartfelt sympathies to the families affected by the violence.

The Congress President said for centuries, Kerala has been a beacon to the rest of the world showing how people of different religions and faiths can live together in amity and harmony.

Kerala's achievements in social welfare have also been remarkable, she said adding "all this makes the Marad episode even more disturbing".

Bureau Report