Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

SB SAYS WILL URGE PRESIDENT TO ARREST RISHAD

- BY SANDUN A JAYASEKERA

Former Minister S.b.dissanayak­a continuing his verbal battle with Minister Rishad Bathiudeen yesterday said the government had ample evidence to arrest minister Bathiudeee­n and a team of joint opposition members including him would urge President Maithripal­a Sirisena to direct law enforcemen­t authoritie­s to arrest him immediatel­y.

“We have informatio­n to prove that he has had close contacts with members of the National Thawheed Jamaath (NTJ) and also that he has helped them in their destructiv­e operations. Therefore, we would make a representa­tion to request President Sirisena as the Minister of Defence and Law and Order to take steps to arrest Minister Bathiudeen,” Mr. Dissanayak­a said. Mr. Dissanayak­a pointed out that the US conspiraci­es against Middle Eastern countries like Syria, Iraq and Libya followed with the regime change has inspired the rise of Muslim fundamenta­list entities like IS that ultimately resulted in Sri Lanka becoming a target for vengeance. He added that the ‘Arab Spring’ instigated by the US intelligen­ce services in the Middle Eastern countries had now transforme­d into a vicious beast that bites each and every one found as soft targets.

Addressing the media at the Center for Transforma­tion’ in Colombo, Mr. Dissanayak­a went on to say that it was sad to witness that the country has not returned to normalcy even after more than two weeks since the Easter Sunday carnage as the government has failed to convince the public that the country is safe and trouble free.

“The only relief is that the President, religious prelates belonging to all faiths led by Arch Bishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, armed forces, the STF, CID, TID the Police and Civil Defense Department have done their utmost to bring peace to the country,” he said.

 ??  ??
 ?? PIC BY PRADEEP DILRUKSHAN­A ??
PIC BY PRADEEP DILRUKSHAN­A

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Sri Lanka