Ruwan refutes allegation of hoisting LTTE flag in North

Defence State Minister RuwanWijewardene yesterday refuted the allegation made by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and a group of Opposition MPs that the LTTE flag was hoisted in parts of the North at a time when the nation commemorated the sixth year of defeating LTTE terrorism.

Mr. Wijewardene said according to the report received from intelligence agencies, there had been no such incident staged in the Northern or Eastern Provinces and added that these rumours were spread by certain persons with vested interests using media sources and social web sites to achieve their own political agendas.

Issuing a statement he said no incidents of this nature had been reported from the region and that this reflected the disapproval of North and East people in the resurgence of terrorism.

He pointed out that the government was committed

Issuing a statement he said no incidents of this nature had been reported from the region and that this reflected the disapproval of North and East people in the resurgence of terrorism.

to ensuring national security and building reconciliation and co-existence among the people.

“I regret the actions of certain sections in misleading the people of the South by spreading false information to attain petty political gains,” he said.

He requested the people to be vigilant about campaigns carried out by certain social websites using media reports and video clippings of recent LTTE commemorative events held in some countries including South India.

Mr. Wijewardene said political and extremist elements that were trying to mislead the Southern people should take it to their conscience of President Sirisena's statement to the nation on the 19th, where he categorically said the present government would not leave any place for the resurgence of LTTE or any other terrorist elements to raise their heads in this country.