WHEN CHRISTIANS LIKE HIM,
RAVI AND RANIL INSULT BUDDHIST MONKS, “IT GOES AGAINST MY GRAIN”
SAYS JEYARAJ
By Walter Jayawardhana
Accusations and counter accusations hurled at each other about a Mercedes
Benz owned by Venerable Ellawela Medhananda has become the main attraction
of UNP politics after Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe ridiculed
the Leader of the Jathika Hela Urumaya that Medhananda Thero wanted
the vehicle to travel along the Noble Eight Fold Path.
The outspoken Roman Catholic Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle says that
non-Buddhist UNP politicians have made use of the issue to insult Buddhist
monks. Addressing a mammoth rally of the SLFP at Kurunegala Fernandopulle
said, “Like me, Ranil Wickremesinghe and Ravi karunanayaka were
born Christians. It is wrong for them to use the accusing finger at
a priest of a different religion and call him names.”
He said ever since President Junius Richard Jayewardene has allowed
the import of tax free vehicles for parliamentarians and provincial
council members Ranil Wickremesinghe has obtained four permits to import
vehicles and he challenged him to produce those vehicles. He said 90
per cent of the permits obtained by UNP parliamentarians have been sold
to earn a pretty penney.
Some parliamentarians keep the vehicles and use them. Venerable Medhananda
Thero has donated his vehicle to his party. Every parliamentarian has
obtained the permits to import tax free vehicles and he asked what is
it so special about Venerable Medhananda.
He said the truth lies somewhere else . He said Ranil Wickremesinghe
is worried that the archeologist monk is attacking LTTE with his vast
knowledge of the history of the country.
“I being a Catholic, never insult Buddhist monks and ridicule the
practice of the monks like Ranil and Ravi,” Fernandopulle pointed
out and added, “It goes against my grain.”
United National Party rebel parliamentarian Hemakumara Nanayakkara
addressing the same rally said when Venerable Medhananda attacks Prabhakaran
with facts Prabhakaran gets high temperature and Ranil starts boiling
the medicine pot for Prabhakaran. He said all politicians before their
political demise, have ominously insulted Buddhist monks.
While the United National Party charges that Venerable Ellawela Medhananda’s
Mercedes Benz registered under KH1715 at the Registrar of Motor Vehicles
has been transferred to one Nishantha Hemantha , allegedly a UNP suppporter
who has handed over the vehicle for the use of Ranil Wickremesinghe
the Registrar of Motor Vehicles says it is still in the name of Venerable
Medhananda.
UNP parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayaka said that Nishantha Hemantha
had been forced by the JHU to give a statement to the Homagama Police
that he was not abducted by the JHU. Karunanayaka claimed Nishantha
Hemantha met Ranil Wickremesinghe thereafter and handed an affidavit
explaining what happened. He also claimed that the JHU threatened him
to return the vehicle. He said now the UNP will request a parliamentary
select committee to inquire into the incident.
Meanwhile the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) denied they know anybody by
the name Nishantha Hemantha and Ranil Wickramasinghe would go into history
as the first leader of opposition in the country who robbed a motor
vehicle. Udaya Gammanpila , the legal advisor of the JHU said Ranil
Wickremesinghe has no legal power to use the car , the title of which
is on Venerable Ellawela Medhananda and it is a criminal offense for
him to use it. Gammanpila said he welcomed a select committee. He said
Ranil Wickremesinghe is using the vehicle without any prior permission
from the Registrar of Motor Vehicles without a license plate and that
is the second offense he is committing. And Gammanpila charged that
the affidavit he was producing is a fraudulent one which becomes the
third criminal offense committed by the UNP leader
Minister Patalee Champika Ranawaka charged that Ranil Wickremesinghe
started his anti-Buddhist tirade when he became the leader of the party
by removing the Buddha statue at Siri Kotha and and continues to the
day by insulting the Buddhist monks.
|
