Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday called for an inquiry into a statement made by TNA MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam in Parliament on May 20.
Wickremesinghe demanded that TNA Parliamentarian Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam withdraw his statement made in Parliament on May 20.
He said that Rasamanickam had stated that certain MPs’ houses were torched and they had been attacked because they had supported the 20th Amendment. “Then why was MP Kumara Welgama attacked? He was one of the first people to call for the President to resign. He is an open critique of the President. It was not the people of Homagama that attacked him, it was people from outside areas. We have now identified these persons. Investigations are underway. An impartial investigation is required.”
The Prime Minister told Parliament that he had sought the assistance of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Union (CPU) to conduct an impartial investigation on the incidents of May 9, 2022.
Speaking during the condolence vote on late MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala who was murdered during violence on May 9, 2022 the Prime Minister said he had written to CPU Secretary General seeking assistance to carry out an impartial investigation on arson attacks on houses belonging to SLPP MPs and also the attack on peaceful protesters near Temple Trees and at the Galle Face.
“I told the Speaker too to speak to the CPU Secretary General. The Speaker has the power to call for the telephone records from Dialog and Mobitel. There is no need for us to clash over this, the Speaker has the authority to act regarding this matter.”
Commenting on the statement made by MP Rasamanikkam he said that even when Lakshman Kadirgamar was killed, all Parliamentarians stood together in condemning the killing. “We must stick to those traditions. Here while all other Parliamentarians condemned the violence on May 9, one MP sided and justified the attacks.”
“During his speech in Parliament on the 20th he said ‘remember that the houses of these MPs were burnt because they supported the 2020-21 Budget and the 20th Amendment that is harmful to the country’. How can an MP speak like this? What is the meaning of this? Does this mean he approves of the houses being burnt? Does he approve of the killings and assaults? When parliament was surrounded by protesters, he came and said that no one was harmed. The next day he was seen with the Front Line Socialist Party Leader Kumar Gunaratnam. No one opposes Front Line Socialists Party as long as they are engaged in politics within a democratic frame.”
The Prime Minister noted that MP Rasamanikkam should be made to tender an apology by the end of the next parliamentary week. If he fails to withdraw his statement, the Speaker should take action against him by appointing a committee to look into the statements made by him and submit a report. Such things cannot happen in this House.”