They are out to eliminate me physically and politically: Bathiudeen

Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen, said yesterday there was a plan to eliminate him, both physically and politically.

Mr. Bathiudeen, the leader of All Ceylon People’s Congress (ACPC), said that as electionday approached, the racist group had been activated again to defeat him. “Together, they are conspiring to kill me, or failing that, to destroy me politically,” he said.

Minister Bathiudeen was addressing a press briefing held at EDB on Wednesday (5) where he was accompanied by several attorneys-at law. “My community and I have been falsely accused of causing the destruction of the area surrounding the Wilpattu Sanctuary by some sections of the news media,” he charged.

I and my community have been falsely accused of causing the destruction of the area surrounding the Wilpattu Sanctuary by some sections of the news media

“Muslims were displaced from the villages of Marichchikatti, Karaddikuli, Palakkuli, Kondachchi and Mullikulam when they were forcefully evicted by the LTTE and I have their voter list of that time as well as deeds issued in 1906, with me. When they returned after the war, their original habitats were a jungle. When we tried to resettle these IDPs we were falsely accused of destroying the Wilpattu forest. First they claimed IDPs were re-settled inside the Wilpattu Reserve which was a lie and when it was proved so, they alleged that I way resettling people inside the Kallaru Reserve, also a fabrication.