I was educating monks who should be held responsible for the attack: Minister Kiriella

He said the Easter Sunday tragedy could have been avoided if the police showed the some enthusiasm for the intelligence reports

Leader of the House Laskshman Kiriella yesterday alleged that his staff members who were arrested for holding some controversial letters are being held in custody in an unfair manner while MP Piyal Nishantha who had allegedly made statements which arouse communalism had been spared. Making a statement in Parliament Mr. Kiriella said the letters that were seized were to be sent to Buddhist clergy. “I only exercised my right to educate the monks on who should be responsible for the Easter Sunday carnage,” the Minister said.

He said the Easter Sunday tragedy could have been avoided if the police showed some enthusiasm for the intelligence reports like they exhibited with regard to his staff members and for the letters which were recovered. “MP Piyal Nishantha has made a false statement in a TV talk show that 11 army personnel were killed. This was a statement which arouses communalism and it is also provoking, I wonder how he got away from the police.”

“SLPP and SLFP are working against the UNP. This is why they appointed a new government in October 2018. We also wonder as to who is getting the police to harass us,” he added. Also he said the letter has been sent to the Attorney General so that he could read and voice his opinion. MP Nishantha said he had given a statement to the police and had corrected his statement, He said he had also expressed his regrets on the statement, MP Manusha Nannaykkara said a copy of the letter should be tabled in the House so that MPS could know what has been written.