 |
| BBS thugs |
Meanwhile, issuing a media statement on Friday, the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) claimed the apparent impunity with which the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) was acting raises questions whether the BBS was running ‘a parallel government’ like the LTTE during its existence.
“At least the so called government of the LTTE was challenged by the law enforcement authorities but the government of the BBS appears to be above the law,” the statement said. The ACMC further called for a ‘Commission of Inquiry’ to look into post-war incidents against minorities in general and Muslims in particular.
The statement, issued by ACMC Leader and Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathidueen, condemned the disruption of the Jathika Bala Sena (JBS) press conference at Nippon Hotel on Wednesday, and questioned as to how the BBS was able to behave in such an ‘unruly manner’ in the presence of police officers.
“The impunity with which they (BBS) were able to get out of the hotel not only after forcing the organisers to call off the press conference even before it started but also getting them to tender an apology under duress in the presence of members of the long arm of the law calls into question the uniform applicability of the law to all citizens of the country,” the statement read.
The ACMC alleged that the failure on the part of law enforcement authorities to act against the organization during the past two years had emboldened its members to intensify their acts ‘even in front of media cameras’.
ACMC Leader and Minister Bathidueen had been accused by the BBS of settling Muslims illegally within Wipattu National Park. The JBS meanwhile claimed that BBS was spreading falsehoods regarding the situation.
A recent media briefing held by Jathika Balasena fell through amid the intervention of a group of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) members lead by General Secretary of the organization Ven.Gnanasara Thera and from the way the police behaved towards the situation it was evident that certain powerful hands are behind the particular action, says Minister Rauff Hakeem of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).
He has further stated that considering the similar incidents occurred recently attention should be paid towards certain Buddhist monks violating ethics of Bhikku by taking measures against minority religious groups.
The countries attention has been directed towards the law enforcing authorities’ behavior towards such groups and it is surprising that the OIC and other police officers attached to Slave Island Police Station remained silent taking the particular incident to be normal, he added