{"id":75448,"date":"2018-03-09T16:08:13","date_gmt":"2018-03-09T23:08:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=75448"},"modified":"2018-03-09T16:08:31","modified_gmt":"2018-03-09T23:08:31","slug":"im-doing-what-the-govt-should-do-mahinda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2018\/03\/09\/im-doing-what-the-govt-should-do-mahinda\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m doing what the govt should do \u2013 Mahinda"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By\u00a0Yusuf Ariff\u00a0Courtesy Adaderana<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa says that he intervened and fulfilled a duty which the government should rightly do, at this time of discord among communities.<\/p>\n

He made these comments while speaking to reporters following a discussion with Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu religious leaders in Kandy this morning, regarding the tense situation which had prevailed in the area.<\/p>\n

Rajapaksa said that he participated in the discussion due to a request from the Muslim community and that he played a mediatory role in what he described as a fruitful discussion.<\/p>\n

He stated that the importance for the Muslim people to remain patient at this moment just as same as the Sinhalese people was discussed.<\/p>\n

However, Rajapaksa charged that the government is responsible for the situation which arose and that the police did not have the ability to take decisions.<\/p>\n

The former President further called on all communities in the country to act peacefully and with patience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n