VIJAYAKALA DENIES SHE MADE PRO-LTTE STATEMENT

State Minister of Child Affairs Vijayakala Maheswaran said she had not made any statement with the intention of bringing the LTTE back to life and said that it was a slip of the tongue.

She expressed these views during a telephone conversation with the Social Empowerment Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayaka who called her during a media briefing in Colombo yesterday.

During the conversation, she explained that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had promised to give her Rs. one billion in cash and a Cabinet portfolio during the time of the previous regime. The telephone conversation went as follows: Ranjan Ramanayaka - What have you said about the LTTE? Vijayakala - Who said? Ranjan Ramanayaka - Why, you have said. It is in every newspaper. Vijayakala - Ayoo,who said that lie.what I said was that we did not have any problems those days. Ranjan Ramanayaka - Was the schoolgirl raped by relatives?

Vijayakala - There was no connection between the brother and uncle. It was done by the drug users. No relations issues exist in the Northern Province as in South.

Ranjan Ramanayaka - You thanked him for the lands that were returned but the President had only visited Jaffna.

Vijayakala - He visited Jaffna only to build his party.we worked hard for his victory.mahinda Rajapaksa told me that he will win the election with a majority of one million votes and promised me Rs.1 billion and a Cabinet minister post. But we did not support him.

Ranjan Ramanayaka - Was your husband murdered by the LTTE?

Vijayakala - No,what nonsense.all problems we have now because of Chandrika and Mahinda.

Ranjan Ramanayaka - Your solution for this problem was wrong.

Vijayakala - I did not say that we want to bring the LTTE back.we lived in peace in that era.due to being excited I said it by mistake. No one will come back. Ranjan Ramanayaka - Don’t say that LTTE is coming back. It is not good ok? Vijayakala - No, no Ranjan don’t take it seriously,this had been done by the media to defeat Ranil Wickremesinghe. Ranjan Ramanayaka - Don’t make such statements, it is not good for the government. Vijayakala - No Ranjan, I did not say we want to bring the LTTE back.