Union minister Ananth Kumar on Thursday said the central government was very concerned about the recent murders of Indians in the United States. The parliamentary affairs minister was speaking during the Question Hour of the second leg of the Budget session in Parliament, reported The Indian Express.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the Centre would make a detailed statement about the incidents soon. “Will take steps to ensure that Indians in USA feel secure there,” he said. Kumar also appealed to the Opposition parties to refrain from disrupting House proceedings. Bills related to finance, appropriation and maternity will be taken up for discussion this session, he said.

Singh spoke about Wednesday’s Lucknow encounter, in which a suspected Islamic State militant was killed. The militant is believed to be part of the group that carried out the explosion inside a compartment of a Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train on Tuesday. At least nine people were injured in the incident. The whole country’s sympathies are with the father of Saifullah [the suspected militant].” Singh said. ”My sympathies are with him as well.” He said the National Investigation Agency would look into the case.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge urged Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi to speak about the incident. “[The] PM tweets on every other issue, why doesn’t he talk on this issue? Why silent?” the Opposition leader said. “He should make statement today.” Before the proceedings began, Modi said he hoped to see a breakthrough in the Goods and Services Tax.