Final rally in open space

Democratic Left Front (DLF) Leader and Ratnapura District UPFA Parliamentarian Vasudeva Nanayakkara said the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has sent him a letter that the permission granted for their meeting at Hyde Park grounds tomorrow (August 01) was cancelled and that any open space available for the public could be the venue when the Joint Opposition (JO) Jana Satana Pada Yatra reaches Colombo tomorrow.

“The CMC has sent a letter addressed to me on Friday (July 29) that permission for the meeting of our party at Hyde Park grounds had been cancelled due to renovation and development work of the grounds,” MP Nanayakkara told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

“We have written to the Commissioner of the CMC and will also send a copy to the Chief Minister of the Western Province who is in charge of Local Bodies regarding the same matter and we will take further action when the the Paada Yathra ends tomorrow.”

Nanayakkara said this was a deliberate attempt by the Government to sabotage the JO rally. “Having granted permission for the venue on July 21 to my application made on July 15, the CMC sent me a letter on July 29 that development work has to be done and my permit has been cancelled so that Police permission too cannot be granted.”

He said the CMC authorities had asked him to find an alternative grounds for which they will grant permission. “When we checked, we found that all the grounds have been reserved by others between July 21 and 29.’ he said.

Asked whether the JO will select any other venue to have their meeting, MP Nanayakkara said that there is no other venue and they have to come to Colombo tomorrow without a venue. “Any open space available for the public will be our venue.” UPFA Ratnapura District MP Ranjith de Zoysa said that whatever attempts and misleading statements are made by the Government, the JO would enter Colombo city tomorrow with thousands of people. “We call upon the Government not to engage in futile attempts and allow the Jana Satana Pada Yatra to peacefully enter Colombo city and hold the rally.”