Prime Minister speaks to Sirisena, Ranil

Condemning the attacks on Easter in Sri Lanka in the “strongest terms”, India offered the Sri Lankan government assistance in treating those injured. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe over the telephone and conveyed India’s condolences.

Expressing complete solidarity with Sri Lanka, President Ramnath Kovind said that the “senseless violence, senseless violence, aimed at innocent people, has no place in civilised society.”

Several other leaders joined the government in expressing condolences over the attacks. Calling them a “diabolical act of terrorism”, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said he was “saddened & disturbed” by the news. “All forms of violence are unacceptable. Easter is a Festival of Peace. My thoughts and prayers with the grieving families,” tweeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she was in constant touch with the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo, where special hotlines were set up for Indians in Sri Lanka. “We are keeping a close watch on the situation,” she tweeted.