Defeated politicos ‘stirring ethnic fires’ -Puravesi Balaya

The Puravesi Balaya, (Citizen’s Power) Organisation has charged that a group of defeated politicians, headed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is engaged in a conspiracy to recapture power by resorting to communalism and creating religious discord.

At a media briefing on Friday in Colombo organisation leaders appealed to the people to organise themselves to defeat such moves.

Puravesi Balaya Co-convenor and Trade Union Leader Saman Ratnapriya said that communalism and religious discord have surfaced after the Presidential election. We have decided to get the people to rally against any possible bloodshed which would drag the country back to the dark era, he said.

Another co-convenor, writer Gamini Viyangoda, said that the extremist and fascist organisation Bodu Bala Sena and people such as Wimal Weerawansa, Dinesh Gunawardena and Udaya Gammanpila, have taken recourse to communalism and could try to make Mahinda Rajapaksa Prime Minister at the next general election and do away with democracy again.

Puravesi Balaya executive Committee members Prasanna Vithanage, Joseph Stalin, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake, Sunil Perera, Nisanka Diddeniya and Buddhadasa Galappaththi participated in the media briefing held in a hotel in Rajagiriya.