Navin tackles issue of Rajapaksa's son

The new Tourism and Sports Minister, Navin Dissanayake, talked tough when he and his officials met members of the Rugby Union on Friday.

He asked who had issued instructions that the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa should not come for rugby football practices. Rajapaksa's coach Asanga Seneviratne had pointed out it had come from the Commander of the Navy. Minister Dissanayake phoned Vice Admiral Jayantha Perera and posed the question. He replied that he was asked by Defence Secretary D.M.U.D. Basnayake.

At first the Minister wanted to phone Basnayake. He later said instead, he would get in touch with the Minister of State for Defence, Ruwan Wijewardene. He rang him but found he could not be reached at that moment.

Minister Dissanayake said he would meet Mr. Wijewardene and raise issue. "Neither the President nor the Prime Minister can stop them from coming for practices. I am the Minister in charge," he insisted. He said there were political differences with the Rajapaksas but that should not be brought into sports.