BJP weighing up ‘political split’ in Rajapaksa camp?
Posted on February 18th, 2017
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
On February 10, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav, known to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s point man on Sri Lanka, met President Maithripala Sirisena and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo, a week before Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar’s scheduled official visit.Mr. Madhav also met a few other key political actors,
The Hindu learns, and reportedly discussed political options that might neutralise” former strongman Rajapaksa. Confirming that he met the President and the Prime Minister to discuss bilateral issues and a forthcoming Indian Ocean conference in the island, Mr. Madhav, when contacted in New Delhi, said the [other] allegations are false”.
While he categorically denied having discussed the former first family in any of his meetings, political sources in Colombo told The Hindu that the BJP’s key strategist seemed to explore the possibility of Gotabaya Rajapaksa decamping from Mahinda Rajapaksa in return for high political office.
One of Sri Lanka’s most controversial figures and brother of the ex-President, Mr. Gotabaya was prominent in the leadership to defeat the LTTE, playing a key role as Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development.
Currently facing corruption charges for allegedly transferring state-owned weapons to a private firm, causing a loss of nearly $75 million to the country, he has been a staunch critic of the government’s reconciliation strategy.
While Mr. Madhav’s reported enquiries about him have raised eyebrows in political circles, its timing is also significant.
Two years after coming to power, Sri Lanka’s national unity government — formed by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) that President Sirisena leads and its rival United National Party with PM Wickremesinghe at the helm — is pulling apart.
Amid mounting criticism over the government’s delay in delivering its key election promises, coupled with looming corruption charges, the government is facing another immediate task for its survival — managing the ex-President, who leads a faction of the SLFP. This political grouping is challenging virtually every move of the government as a joint opposition” in Parliament.
Meanwhile, Mr. Rajapaksa has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of India. Observing that New Delhi has been mouse-like” on the current government’s China policy, while it objected to his, the former President has accused India of plotting his defeat in the January 2015 elections.
Even as Colombo tries to iron out issues with Beijing on a massive port and investment zone being built with Chinese assistance, Mr. Rajapaksa went to China in late 2016 on an invitation from the government.
At the same time, Colombo-New Delhi ties improved visibly with Mr. Modi’s visit to the neighbouring country in 2015, the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister in nearly three decades.
India and Sri Lanka are currently negotiating a trade deal and exploring partnerships in the strategically crucial eastern city of Trincomalee, in addition to collaborating on development projects. Mr. Madhav is a frequent visitor to Colombo and a known emissary of Mr. Modi. Foreign Secretary Mr. Jaishankar, who arrives on Saturday for a two-day visit, will meet the Sri Lankan President, Prime Minister and other key political actors.
– See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/BJP-weighing-up-political-split-in-Rajapaksa-camp–124067.html#sthash.auP1EgvH.dpuf
February 18th, 2017 at 6:00 pm
ඉන්දියානු අදිරදවාදී ජඩයෝ සින්හලයන් මහපොලොවෙන් අතුගා දමන තුරු නවතින්නේ නැත.
Hindu is the mouth piece of the Indian Empire. Indian Jadayaas will never give up until Sinhalese people are wiped out from the Earth.
February 18th, 2017 at 6:02 pm
[Quote] While he categorically denied having discussed the former first family in any of his meetings, political sources in Colombo told The Hindu that the BJP’s key strategist seemed to explore the possibility of Gotabaya Rajapaksa decamping from Mahinda Rajapaksa in return for high political office. [Unquote]
This seems to what most Sinhalas want too. Since Mahinda has been unable to free himself from the shackles of “Sirisena chinathanaya” and “Chandrika chinthanaya”, other sensible MPs must register a new party. Delaying it any further is totally unwise.
[Quote] The Hindu learns, and reportedly discussed political options that might “neutralise” former strongman Rajapaksa. [Unquote]
What does the Hindu mean when it says “neutralise” Rajapaksa? Does it mean killing him as Indian did twice in 1959 and 1993? Or does it mean taking away his civic rights? A democracy would never discuss options to “neutralise” politicians. That is dictatorship.
February 19th, 2017 at 2:47 pm
Dilrook,
If BJP want to split them WE SHOULD UNIFY them. Let the main man understand this, go undergorund to support the only man standing.
February 19th, 2017 at 5:35 pm
Don’t worry, Gota us not motivated by personal Ambition, but by love of his country and his people.
Neither will he turn against his brother Mahinda.
Anything he does will be a part of a plan undertaken in close collaboration with Mahinda and other patriotic forces, to preserve their stake within the SLFP while creating additional patriotic options outside the SLFP.
The ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE will remain the same: tje restoration of a PATRIOTIC government supported by and acceptable to the Sinhala Buddist majority, and all others who are willing to submerge their agendas to the national interest.
The BJPCS and all other Indians can plot and connived to their hearts content, but they will not split the Rajapaksa brothers! Thank God for that!
February 19th, 2017 at 5:40 pm
We need to protest the denial of bail to Wimal Weerawansa!
This political witch-hunt must be ended!
The entire country must rise up in arms against this continuing injusticd!
February 19th, 2017 at 5:44 pm
Wimal Weerawansa is in prison, but the CENTRAL BANK ROBBERS who looted billions from the bank are running around scot free under the protection of the PARA-GATHI AGA-MATHS!
Ludicrous! One law for political opponents, yet another for one’s own bank robbers!
February 19th, 2017 at 6:23 pm
Agree with Ananda in all he says here.
Thank you, Ananda !
———-
It is a crying SHAME on Sri Lanka present day leaders that all Patriotic Leaders are being humiliated for SAVING THE NATION !! All Yahap Hyena/Hivala politicians are thriving.
Protest peacefully. Protest peacefully. Protest peacefully.
How Protests were done in Australia was great !
Remove Ranil, the unelected leader.
Lanka must have Elections !
February 19th, 2017 at 7:08 pm
@Ananda
I’m afraid I have to respectfully disagree with you once again.
He faces danger to his political views, credibility, etc. from federalists who have surrounded the other. In 1990 one of them brought a flower reed to parliament and placed in right in front of the then defence minister when he restarted war with Tamil terrorists. More recent incidents include this person using raw filth in parliament. Federalists are just one set of undesirables in that camp. There are others too. As a result a wide array of nationalists and professionals refuse to join the JO and SLPP.
This is the very reason why “Viyathmaga” was started outside the corridors of politics. I think he wants to separate himself from this and people have responded positively. It is fantastic if Mahinda prunes the JO and turns it into a unitary, clean and worthwhile group of MPs. If it is not happening, Gota should avoid it.
The behind the scenes clash between them was clearly visible at the 2013 WPC election. One of them backed the offspring of his former advisor while the other backed a nationalist. Sadly, the former won. A key federalist hailed the win. The rest is history. Even the president trusts and respects two of them but not the rest.
The split between the two is ideological and not personal. Hopefully the politician will change and not the disciplinarian.
February 19th, 2017 at 9:58 pm
The GR-MR split is the Lorenzo-Ananda-USA split.
It is INEVITABLE.
I support GR. I call on ALL patriots to support GR ONLY.
These 2 are VERY STRONG personalities. You CANNOT tell them what to do.
MR should LISTEN to GR and NOT to the parasites. GR understands people better than MR.
What a disgusting ENDIAN govt. we have to PUNISH GR for building a Buddhist temple in this Buddhist country!!
GR started to build the SANDA HIRU SEYA to invoke blessings on soldiers dead and alive. What a great thing to do in a country people believe in merit where soldiers are reluctant to do the right thing fearing bad karma.
IF a Buddhist temple cannot be built in the island that wrote down the TRIPITAKA, the only country Buddha visited by choice and the island with the tallest Buddhist temples, what is the use of kov-ills, churches and mosques!! SHAME!
I sincerely hope GR will NOT lose hope.
February 19th, 2017 at 11:48 pm
Katussa (Lorenzo),
Here READ MY LIPS:
There is no GR-MR split, as much as you would like to engineer a split to divide the Patriotic Forces of Sri Lanka, THETE IS NO SPLIT!
Take your EELAMIST PROPAGANDA and shove it where the SUN DON’T SHINE!