Another constituent of the UPFA, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), too, condemned the alleged abductions. LSSP’s Deputy General Secretary, Anil de Soysa on behalf of General Secretary of the party, Minister Tissa Vitharana, said that the LSSP acknowledged the FSP’s right to engage in politics, though they didn’t agree with the new outfit’s policies. The failure to prevent abductions would cause political instability. The LSSP demanded urgent action to find Gunaratnam and Attygalle.
NFF leader and Minister Wimal Weerawansa emphasized that the government couldn’t afford to allow such incidents to take place at a time an attempt was being made to haul Sri Lanka before an international war crimes tribunal.
The police should also investigate the possibility of a third party abducting Gunaratnam and Attygalle to bring the government into disrepute. The alleged abductions had taken place close on the heels of the recent vandalism of several statues, including that of Mahatma Gandhi in Batticaloa. The government couldn’t ignore the possibility of an organized attempt to discredit the country. It would be in the best interest of the government to conduct a thorough inquiry to establish the truth, the minister said.
The NFF was seriously concerned about the disappearance of two key people of the JVP’s breakaway faction, he said. Weerawansa quit the JVP in April 2008 and pledged his allegiance to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Indian High Commissioner in Colombo Ashok K. Kantha has taken up the vandalism of the Gandhi statue with Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyan.
India has taken up the issue of desecration and requested that the Gandhi statue be rebuilt. Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ashok K. Kantha took up the incident with Foreign Secretary Karunatilleke Amunugama, conveying India’s concern and requested urgent investigations into the incident.
MP Weerawansa said that it was easy to accuse security authorities of carrying out the abduction. But that may divert the attention away from those who had perpetrated the crime, Weerawansa said urging President Rajapaksa to bring whoever responsible for recent abductions before a court of law.
NFF said that the FSP should have the right to engage in politics and it would be a grave violation of the Constitution if the government interfered
By Shamindra Ferdinando
IS