By
Maheesha Mudugamuwa

Investment Promotion Deputy Minister Faizer Musthapha yesterday told the media that if the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) backed the government either directly or indirectly, he would not remain in it because the interests of his community had to be safeguarded first of all.

He was speaking at a media briefing at the SLFP headquarters yesterday.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary and Petroleum Industries Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said the government had not offered money to induce or prevent crossovers.

Responding to a query by a journalist whether the government was continuing with the much-advertised probe into former Public Management Reforms Minister Naveen Dissanayake’s recent allegation about a Rs. 100 million bribe being offered to him to remain in the government, Minister Yapa said: “Is he worth such a huge amount of money?”

Minister Yapa said that the government had neither asked nor taken government officials forcibly to campaign as the UPFA had a solid netword of party members.

Admiring former President J.R Jayewardene’s life after his retirement, Yapa stressed that not a single president in the country had returned to politics after their retirement unlike Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Transport Minister Kumara Welgama said that he would never leave the party under any circumstance and he had also asked his son Senel not to do so in the future.

Minister Welgama also said that the Opposition was spreading lies about crossovers to attract crowds for its poorly attended meetings.

He said that the UPFA votebase had not reduced at all though some people in Colombo made claims to that effect.

Courtesy:The Island