Addressing the media this morning (Feb. 17) UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said that the Government was providing security only to its members and henchmen and not to others.

“If the President has won the January 26 election with such a huge majority as they claim, why is he so scared and unleashing a campaign of terror, lawlessness and media suppression?” queried Mr. Attanayake who represented the Kandy district in Parliament.

Now the Government has resorted to labelling the Maha Sangha as pro-UNP or pro-JVP just because they were to organize a bhikku conference against the bad governance of the government and erosion of democracy. They have resorted to threats and intimidation to force the Buddhist Prelates to cancel the conference. By this they are trying to divide the Buddhist clergy who have been impartial all along. By this it is clear that the government is running scared. Otherwise why should it do so, asked Tissa Attanayake.

The Government’s attempt is to make us victims of terror like Major General Janaka Perera who was killed while contesting for the Provincial Council elections and when his security was reduced, added the UNP General Secretary.

Pointing out at suppression of the media, Mr. Attanayake said that the Lanka newspaper editor Chandana Sirimalwatte was arrested by the CID, detained for a month and later released without any charges being framed. But the President said he was not aware of the editor’s arrest. He was not aware of the lawless acts of his Defence Secretary, charged Mr. Attanayake.

At the same media briefing Western Provincial UNP Councillor Mohan Lal Grero stated that recently the state media had announced that Grero had joined the government. “I am not willing or have not joined a government that is so bankrupt that it resorts to all sorts of tricks to win over opposition members to its side”, Mr. Grero said.

Courtesy: Ada Derana