No more misunderstandings between India and SL - SB

Fences have been mended between former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government and Indian Premier Narendra Modi and the BJP government after the mistrust between the two emerged at the 2015 Presidential poll with Wednesday’s meeting between the two leaders, former Minister and SLFP dissident group front liner S.B. Dissanayaka said yesterday.

Mr. Dissanayaka expressing the group’s jubilance over Mr. Rajapaksa’s meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi added that the minority communities in Sri Lanka and Tamil leaders in particular must now realize that Tamils and Muslims could accomplish their aspirations only by a government led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Addressing the weekly news briefing in Colombo yesterday, Mr. Dissanayaka said the ruling Bharathiya Janatha Party and Prime Minister Modi stood against ex President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the January 2015 Presidential election as there was a misunderstanding between the two main political parties in India and Sri Lanka. The main reason for voting en-mass in favour of President Maithripala Sirisena by Tamils was influenced by the stance taken by India.

“The differences that remained between the two have come to an end with this meeting. I have no doubt that the Indian government would give its full support to a future government led by Mahinda as Prime Minister to bring a permanent solution acceptable to the South to

Pics by Waruna Wanniarachchi. resolve the North-east issue once and for all. Therefore, all Tamil leaders must keep this development as a paradigm shift of India’s policy on Sri Lanka. I think that Tamils and Muslims have no second choice but to support Mahinda at the forthcoming PC, Presidential and

Parliamentary polls,” he stressed.

Commenting on the CID’S move to arrest Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, Mr. Dissanayaka said that the arrest attempt had been orchestrated by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to undermine President Sirisena’s authority as the Executive President and Head of State and added it could pose a threat to national security.

“The CID has failed to inform President Sirisena on the attempt to arrest Admiral Wijegunaratne and he is angry about it and that is why he has called an emergency cabinet meeting it seems. This is the first time after 1994, that an emergency cabinet meeting has been called. An emergency cabinet meeting is normally called when the national security

is threatened,” Mr. Dissanayaka stressed.

On the comments that had been made by Field Marshal Minister Sarath Fonseka on Army Commander Mahesh Senanayaka, Mr. Dissanayaka said it was one of the most heinous and lowly acts of Minister Fonseka.

“It is totally unacceptable and indecent to make these derogative and malicious comments on a serving Army commander by a retired military officer. He has tried to compare Lt. General Senanayaka to late dictator Idi Amin adding that both were bald headed. This kind of comments can be made only by a ‘Wel Widane’ and not by a high ranking military officer. I respect Sarath Fonseka as a military officer but his behaviour is extremely distasteful and cheap. He must not forget the allegations

made against him by various military officers that he is a wife beater, womanizer and ruthless dictator who used to hit his chef with half boiled hoppers.

Mr. Dissanayaka noted that the negative developments within the government in the recent few months were aimed at attacking and undermining President Sirisena. He said that all this was the work of Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Smaraweera with the blessings of Prime Minister Mr. Wickremesinghe and added that President Sirisena must expel Mangala and Fonseka from the cabinet immediately.

He concluded by saying that there was no better opportunity than this for SLFP members in the government to quit the government without delay.