In what seemed like a scene from a Sinhala film two “honourable” members of Parliament entered into fisticuffs within the “hallowed”precincts of the house by Diyawanna Oya on Tuesday June 21st.
Joint Opposition Kandy District MP Mahindananda Alutgamage and UNP Gampaha District parliamentarian and deputy minister Ranjan Ramanayake not only exchanged blows in Parliament but also slandered each other in raw filth, reliable parliament sources said. Both hurled choice epithets at each other insulting both their mothers in the process.
Though Ranjan Ramanayake known as “One –Shot” is a leading actor in Sinhala films and has a larger than life an action hero image, it appears that the portly Mahindananda Aluthgamage had fared better in real life fisticuffs.
Aluthgamage boasted to media personnel that he had hammered Ramanayake while Ramanayake refuted it claiming that he had come out on top in the Aluthgamage vs. Ramanayake. However Ramanayake’s bruised face suggested that Aluthgamage’s blows had inflicted much damage.
According to eye witnesses, Ramanayake had met JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, while waiting for the lift reserved for MPs on the Second Floor. There, Ramanayake had inquired as to why the JVP Leader had agreed to safeguard the name and reputation of MP Aluthgamage. The JVP Leader had responded that he had not made any such promise and that Ramanayake had probably heard a rumour.
However, Ramanayake said that he was told so by none other than Aluthgamage himself.
The JVP Leader again insisted that the there was no agreement between himself and Aluthgamage, adding that the JVP had lodged several complaints against the latter.
At that time, the lift had arrived and MP Alutgamage had walked out.
Ramanayake then accosted Alutgamage, saying that the JVP leader was denying that it had pledged its support to the latter.
Alutgamage said that there had been no agreement between the JVP and him and he had been accused of crimes he never committed. The government was leveling false allegations against the Opposition MPs. Time would decide who was right and who was wrong, he said.
Ramanayake said that the government was not making allegations against anyone without evidence and told Aluthgamage to wait till the investigations were over.
“It was you who raised a non-existing Defender issue,” Alutgamage said.
Ramanayake said that he had obtained details of the Defender scam from MP Alutgamage’s brother Ananda. Ramanayake added that information against MP Aluthgamage was being leaked by none other than his former wife.
Aluthgamage warned MP Ramanayake not to resort to movie antics. Ramanayake responded that he could resort to such antics anywhere he wanted.
According to sources, with tempers getting frayed, both MPs began to use vulgar language, dragging in as they did their mothers and coming to blows in the process.
MPs Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Kumara Welgama and Ranjith Zoysa had intervened and settled the fight, sources said.
Later when they were asked about the incident, both MPs however claimed there had been a heated argument but no blows had been exchanged.
Later, Aluthgamage told the media he had thrashed Ramanayake while Ramanayke, with a reddened face, claimed he had come out on top in the tussle.
(Compiled from Newspaper Reports in Colombo)