{"id":64560,"date":"2019-06-16T01:11:30","date_gmt":"2019-06-16T05:11:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=64560"},"modified":"2019-06-16T01:24:49","modified_gmt":"2019-06-16T05:24:49","slug":"buddhist-monks-fast-unto-death-led-to-mass-resignation-of-muslim-ministers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=64560","title":{"rendered":"Buddhist Monk’s “Fast Unto Death” Led To Mass Resignation Of Muslim Ministers"},"content":{"rendered":"

By
\nD.B.S.Jeyaraj<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first few days of this month saw Sri Lanka once again hurtling towards another orgy of anti -Muslim violence. The Buddhist monk Ven. Athureliya Rathana Thero who is also a member of Parliament was on a \u201cfast unto death\u201d in the vicinity of the Kandy \u201cDalada Maligawa\u201d(Temple of Tooth) hallowed by Buddhists in Sri Lanka and abroad. His demand was that cabinet minister Rishad Bathiudeen , Eastern Province Governor MLAM Hizbullah and Western Province Governor Azath Salley should resign or be dismissed from office . The Thero alleged that the trio – all of them Muslims – had links to the Jihadist terrorist organization that attacked three Churches and three Luxury hotels on Easter Sunday resulting in the deaths of over 250 people. Rathana Thero\u2019s action struck a responsive chord in the minds of many others who too were of the same opinion.<\/p>\n

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pic via: @basnayakeM<\/p><\/div>\n

Ven Athurelia Rathana Thero had entered Parliament first as an elected member of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU).He switched sides from Mahinda Rajapaksa to Maithripala Sirisena in 2014-15. He was later nominated as a JHU national list MP from the UNP list. In recent times he has been chartering an independent course while nominally remaining in the JHU. Rathana Thero\u2019s political image had been somewhat on the decline in recent times prior to the death fast. The sudden decision to embark on a fast provided much publicity to the Bhikku and brought him very much into the limelight again. The allegations against Bathiudeen, Hizbullah and Salley had already been levelled by members of the Mahinda Rajapaksa led opposition. But Ven.Athureliya Rathana Thero stole a march over all others by launching his fast unto death in support of the demands regarding the minister and two Governors.
\n
\nAnother Buddhist monk Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero who has an infamous track record of minority – baiting and venomous anti – Muslim rabble-rousing too got into the fray. The Bhikku who functions as the General-Secretary of the \u201cBodu Bala Sena\u201d (Buddhist Power Force) issued an ultimatum that the Muslim trio should quit their posts by 12 noon on Monday June 3rd or else there would be a \u201c Sena Keliya\u201d(carnival) in all parts of the country. Given the fact that 27 Mosques and many Muslim owned homes, businesses and vehicles had been attacked by mobs in the Puttalam, Kurunegala and Gampaha districts in mid -May this year , few had any illusions about what was being implied by the threat of a \u201cCarnival\u201d.<\/p>\n

It may be recalled that Ven. Gnanasara Thero was earlier serving a prison sentence imposed by the court of appeal for a contempt of court offence where the BBS Gen -secy had been convicted for threatening a magistrate in open court. The Bhikku had appealed against the order to the Supreme Court which upheld the Appeal court ruling. Despite the verdict of the Appeal and Supreme Courts, President Sirisena issued a Presidential pardon to Gnanasara Thero in a controversial move that was criticized sharply by many. Though Gnanasara Thero had been convicted for contempt of court offences it was widely known that the Buddhist Monk had a history of anti -Muslim activity.<\/p>\n

Many fears were expressed at the Monk being released in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday carnage. Interestingly enough it was Azath Salley who met Gnanasara Thero in prison and acted as an emissary of the President in bringing about a release. It was Hizbullah who made a public request that President Sirisena should pardon Ven. Gnanasara Thero. Now the same Gnanasara Thero was demanding the ouster of the two Muslim Governors who helped to get him pardoned and released from prison.<\/p>\n

Viyalendran\u2019s Sideshow in East<\/strong><\/p>\n

In another related sideshow Batticaloa district MP Sathasivam Viyalendran also launched a hunger strike in the east in support of Rathana Thero\u2019s fast. Viyalendran a member of the Peoples Liberation Organization of Thamil eelam (PLOTE) had contested the 2015 polls on the House symbol of the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi(ITAK) and won as a Tamil National alliance MP. The PLOTE is a constituent of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). Viyalendran defected from the PLOTE\/TNA in October last year and joined the short -lived \u201cillegitimate regime\u201dof Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa. He has been functioning independent of the TNA as a Mahinda acolyte ever since. The ex-TNA MP was supported by Ven. Ampitiya Sumarathana Thero of Batticaloa\u2019s \u201cMangalaramaya\u201d Vihara. Viyalendran\u2019s sideshow was intended to demonstrate to the world that both Sinhala and Tamil MP\u2019s were jointly demanding the ouster of the Muslim trio and action against them for alleged involvement in terrorism.<\/p>\n

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President Maithripala Sirisena, Batticaloa district MP Sathasivam Viyalendran and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa-in 2018<\/p><\/div>\n

The insecurity and sense of fear felt by innocent Muslim people after Ven Athureliya Rathana Thero\u2019s fast was further aggravated by the forced closure of shops and businesses in Kandy and wild cat strikes paralyzing transport in the region. It appeared that if anything untoward happened to the politician Bhikku or even if rumours to that effect started spreading, all hell was likely to be let loose on a helpless numerical minority again. Protests and transport strikes in other parts of the country aroused fears of an Island -wide pogrom as in \u201cBlack July\u201d with Muslims instead of Tamils being the targets now.It was a dark, bleak situation for the Country in general and the Muslim ethnicity in particular.<\/p>\n

Mercifully there was no eruption of violence as feared. The volatile socio-political climate underwent a rapid change after it was known that the two Muslim governors had tendered their resignations. Both Hizbullah and Azath Salley had submitted their resignations on Monday which were accepted by President Sirisena. Unlike Rishad Bathiudeen who was elected as MP in 2015 both Hizbullah and Azath Salley had contested and lost in the August 2015 parliamentary elections. Hizbullah who first entered Parliament as a Muslim Congress MP in 1989 was appointed as a national list MP by President Sirisena and made a State minister. In January this year Hizbullah was appointed by President Sirisena as Eastern Province Governor.<\/p>\n

Likewise Azath Salley too was appointed Western province Governor by President Sirisena in January 2019. Earlier Salley had been the Colombo deputy -mayor and also a Central Provincial Councillor. He contested from Batticaloa in the 2015 Parliamentary poll and lost. Salley who failed to get elected in the Local Authority polls of 2018 was made Governor the following year by President Sirisena.<\/p>\n

Both Hizbullah and Azath Salley were appointees of President Sirisena. When Rathana Thero announced his demands President Sirisena had told both Hizbullah and Salley that they were free to make their own decision and that he would neither remove them from office or ask them to resign. Both Governors seemed determined to stay put in their posts despite the death fast. But when Rathana Thero\u2019s fast commenced and the orchestrated support for it gathered momentum , President Sirisena received an intelligence report that made him change his position. The report apparently predicted a major communal conflagration. Furthermore the SLFP also asked him to remove both Governors. Thereafter Sirisena requested both Hizbullah and Azath Salley to resign saying the country would burn if they clung to their posts.. After some \u201cbickering\u201d both Sirisena\u2019s appointees submitted their resignations. Azath Salley claimed that he had resigned on his own and that President Sirisena had not pressured him to do so. Hizbulla in a statement observed that he had resigned to safeguard the security of the Muslim people.<\/p>\n

Ven.Athureliya Rathana Thero<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once Hizbullah and Azath Salley\u2019s resignations were accepted by President Sirisena, the news was conveyed to the fasting Rathana Thero. It was Central Province Governor Maithri Gunaratne who personally told the fasting Buddhist monk around t2.30 PM on Monday that the Governors had resigned. Though there was no news about Rishad at that time, Rathana Thero called off his four day hunger strike at about 2.45 pm . He was taken by ambulance and hospitalized. After a thorough check- up, Ven.Athureliya Rathana Thero was pronounced safe and sound and released from hospital soon.(he had been consuming liquids while fasting). With the fast being called off, the prevailing tension and anxiety began de-escalating to some extent.<\/p>\n

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pic courtesy of: @basnayakeM<\/p><\/div>\n

Now the focus shifted from the Muslim Governors to Rishad Bathudeen the Muslim cabinet minister. Would he resign voluntarily or will he be removed from office? What if Bathiudeen refuses to quit and continues to remain in office ? Will there be another round of anti-Muslim violence on that count? All these troubling questions were lingering in the air. And then came the bombshell announcement! Not only Rishsd Bathiudeen the cabinet minister in question but also eight other Muslims in Govt were quitting ministerial office. In an unusual display of principled solidarity, nine ministers in Govt \u2013 four cabinet ministers, four state ministers and one deputy minister \u2013 from three different political parties resigned en masse. Once again a possible pretext to unleash anti-Muslim violence was removed and potential havoc averted.<\/p>\n

The four Muslim cabinet ministers who resigned were Kandy District MP and Minister of City Planning,Water Supply and Higher Education – Rauff Hakeem;Wanni district MP and Minister of Industry & Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Co-operative Development and Vocational Training & Skills Development – Rishad Bathiudeen; Kegalle district MP and minister of Minister of Highways & Road Development and Petroleum Resources Development – Kabir Hashim; Kandy District MP and Minister of Postal Services & Muslim Religious Affairs -Abdul Haleem.<\/p>\n

The four Muslim State Ministers who resigned were Batticaloa District MP and State minister of Social Empowerment – Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana; Batticaloa District MP and State Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Economic Affairs \u2013 Sihabdeen Ameer Ali; Amparai District MP and State Minister of Provincial Councils & Local Government \u2013 HMMHarees; Amparai District MP and State Minister of Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine – Faizal Cassim.The Muslim deputy \u2013 minister who resigned was Trincomalee district MP and Deputy Minister of Ports & Shipping \u2013 Abdullah Mahrooff.<\/p>\n

Party -Wise Breakdown<\/strong><\/p>\n

The party -wise breakdown of the ministers who tendered their resignations were as follows \u2013 Cabinet minister Rauff Hakeem along with State ministers HMM Harees and Faizal Cassim were from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress who contested on the UNP ticket. State Minister Ali Zahir Moulana of the Muslim Congress contested directly on the SLMC ticket. Cabinet minister Rishad Bathiudeen, State Minister S. Ameer Ali and Deputy -minister Abdulla Naharoff were from the All Ceylon Makkal Congress who contested on the UNP ticket. Cabinet ministers Kabir Hashim and Abdul Haleem were from the United National Party who contested on the party ticket. It could be seen therefore that among the nine ministers who resigned, four were from the SLMC, three from the ACMC and two from the UNP. All nine were elected MP\u2019s.<\/p>\n

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pic via: @Rauff_Hakeem<\/p><\/div>\n

When pressure was being mounted that Rishad Bathiudeen should resign or be removed from office, the ACMC leader and Wanni district MP was determined not to give in. Bathiudeen took up the position that he was not guilty of having any links to the NJT\/IS or having aided and abetted terrorism in any way. His party MP\u2019s strongly backed him. It appeared that if Bathiudeen was removed from ministerial office, he and his four other party MP\u2019s would quit Govt ranks and sit with the opposition. Had this happened Rishad and the ACMC would have lost their positions but their political stock would have risen high among Muslims.<\/p>\n

This state of affairs was transformed due to the efforts of parliamentarians Harees, Ameer Ali and Mujibur Rahman. This trio acted as emissaries between the Muslim leaders and party stalwarts with a view to evolve a common position on the matter. After immense spadework done over the week-end the Muslim ministers and MP\u2019s met at the residence of veteran Muslim leader AHM Fowzie on June 3rd morning to finalise matters and arrived at the decision to resign en masse. However they would continue to sit as backbenchers in Parliament and support the Government. This decision was conveyed to Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and some ministers like Mangala Samaraweera and Mano Ganesan who in turn asked the Muslim leaders to reconsider their decision. Consequently a second meeting was held at the residence of former Colombo Mayor and ex- Envoy to Malaysia A.J. M. Muzammil where the earlier decision was reviewed, re-affirmed and confirmed. Subsequently the decision to resign was announced at a media conference on June 3rd evening.<\/p>\n

The mass resignation of nine Muslim cabinet, state and deputy ministers has rocked the nation and shocked many people. Some are astounded and others genuinely confounded. Never before in the history of Muslim politics in this country has such an event occurred. For the first time in post -Independence Ceylon\/Sri Lanka there is no Muslim holding ministerial office in the Govt of the day. This is a country where Muslims have in the past been accused of enjoying the powers and perks of cabinet portfolios in a manner disproportionate to their actual strength of population on ground when compared to the other two minority ethnicities. For instance prior to the resignations there were four Muslim cabinet ministers in the Govt but only two Indian Tamil cabinet ministers and none from the Sri Lankan Tamils.<\/p>\n

Absence of Muslim Ministers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The absence of Muslim ministers was keenly felt at the first cabinet meeting held on June 4th after the mass resignations of June 3rd.The total withdrawal of Muslim parliamentarians from Government is not a welcome development. It certainly does not augur well for the future. There may be some ill-informed, misguided elements in this country who would be happy at this turn of events. \u201cWe only targeted one but now we have got an unexpected bonanza by way of nine quitting Govt\u201d they may very well gloat. But all level-headed people who think correctly (They are still the majority in Sri Lanka but are silent, silenced or drowned out by other raucous voices) are troubled by this and would not wish this state of affairs to be prolonged indefinitely. However it is of importance to note that none of the nine will be quitting Govt ranks. They have only resigned their posts and presumably will sit in Parliament as backbenchers and support the Govt.<\/p>\n

Sri Lanka is already plagued by inter-ethnic polarization and the resignation of Muslim ministers is likely to widen this gulf further. A silver lining in the dark cloud seems to be Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe\u2019s decision of not appointing replacements to the vacated positions. This suggests that there may be a return to the earlier Status Quo much sooner than expected. Moreover the prelates of the three Buddhist chapters have expressed their disappointment over the mass resignations and urged the Muslim MP\u2019s to resume their ministerial responsibilities again. Besides the Muslim leaders have always been more pragmatic in their political approach than their Sri Lankan Tamil counterparts. This column is therefore optimistic that the Muslim ministers would be back in their saddles by \u201cEsala Perahera\u201d unless there is an election, an eruption of anti-Muslim violence or a replay of terrorist attacks.<\/p>\n

All these raises some important questions.Why did the Muslim representatives in the Government headed de jure by President Maithripala Sirisena and helmed de facto by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe adopt the drastic course of resigning their posts en masse? What were the underlying reasons which compelled four cabinet ministers, four state ministers and a deputy minister to pull out of the Government together? What were the important factors in current Muslim politics which influenced these Muslim MP\u2019s from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress(SLMC), All Ceylon Makkal Congress(ACMC) and the United National Party(UNP) to cut across party lines and embark upon this exhibition of solidarity together? This two -part article would attempt to explain the undercurrents in prevalent Muslim politics that caused or led to this remarkable phenomenon.<\/p>\n

Safety and Security of Muslims<\/strong><\/p>\n

The basic or fundamental reason for the mass resignation of Muslim ministers was the safety and security of the people they primarily represent in Parliament \u2013 the Muslim community. Whatever people may say now with the wisdom of hindsight, it cannot be denied that orchestrated violence targeting Muslims was very much on the cards as the Buddhist Monk\u2019s death fast continued. Also it is important to note that this anti-Muslim violence may not have been spontaneous or committed at random but could have been pre-planned and well -coordinated. \u201cMobile Mobs\u201d may have attacked mosques, homes, businesses and vehicles of Muslims with great impunity.<\/p>\n

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M.L. A. M. Hizbullah<\/p><\/div>\n

What many members of Sri Lanka\u2019s majority community do not seem to understand or recognize is the very real fear of communal violence prevalent among minority communities. The Tamil people underwent violent attacks in 1956, 1958, 1977, 1981 and 1983 during comparatively peaceful years .They suffered innumerable deaths, destruction and displacement during the war years of 1983 -2009 .After the war against the LTTE ended, it was the turn of the Sri Lankan Muslims to experience sporadic violence directed against their community. Mawanella, Aluthgama, Beruwela, Gintota, Amparai, Digana,Negombo, Chilaw, Nattandiya Bingiriya,Kuliyapitiya, Hettipola, Panduwasnuwara, Nikaweratiya, Minuwangoda \u2013 the lengthy list seems open -ended.<\/p>\n

With an orchestrated campaign underway for the ostensible purpose of compelling a Muslim cabinet minister and two Governors to resign there was much anxiety that the Muslim people in Kandy and elsewhere were going to be attacked again. Many Muslim friends in Canada kept asking me whether anti Muslim violence would erupt. They were worried about family, relatives, friends and fellow Muslims back home. Sri Lankan Tamils who experienced such emotions in the not so distant past know how troubling this anxiety is and certainly can empathise with it. Therefore as responsible representatives of their community the Muslim ministers could not have remained indifferent or passive to what was likely to occur. They could not take chances. Hence their resignations en masse. In order to comprehend the prevailing situation more clearly a brief re-run of past events needs to be related.<\/p>\n

Easter Sunday falling on April 21st was a dark terrible day for Sri Lanka as a group of comparatively young Muslims engaged in suicide bomb attacks. Explosions occurred in three luxury hotels, three Churches, a travel lodge and a de-luxe residential apartment in Colombo,Negombo and Batticaloa. 254 people were killed and over 450 injured. A faction of the National Thowheed Jamath (NJT) aligned to the international Jihadist Organization now known as the \u201cIslamic State\u201d(IS) claimed responsibility. Although the terrorists responsible for the carnage operated under the IS label, they were essentially an indigenous, home grown outfit with wide -reaching links at multiple levels. One factor upsetting many Sri Lankans was that some of the suicide bombers were from the upper crust of Muslim society and were wealthy and well -educated.<\/p>\n

Against this backdrop the accusing finger began pointing to others who had supported or were suspected of supporting the NJT\/IS terrorist group. 2289 were arrested on suspicion. Of these 1665 were freed or released on bail. 423 are kept remanded. 211 are detained for interrogation by the TID and CID.Given the acrimonious nature of politics in Sri Lanka, it was inevitable that a political twist or twists would be given by interested parties to exploit this situation and undermine their political adversaries. This is what happened and soon some Muslim politicians were singled out and attacked. There were calls for their arrest.<\/p>\n

Bathiudeen, Hizbullah and Salley<\/strong><\/p>\n

Initially there were five Muslim politicians who were so targeted. They were Muslim Congress leader and cabinet minister Rauff Hakeem, Makkal Congress leader and Cabinet minister Rishad Bathiudeen, Western province Governor Azath Salley, Eastern province Governor M.L. A. M. Hizbullah and UNP Colombo district MP Mujibur Rahuman. Gradually the campaign against Hakeem and Rahuman ceased but a vicious campaign against Bathiudeen , Hizbullah and Azath Salley was pursued with vigour on a widespread scale. It was alleged without any tangible evidence that the trio were linked to the terrorists responsible for the Easter carnage and that they should quit their posts or be removed and that they should be probed and penalized. This campaign was promoted by opposition party elements in association with some Buddhist organizations and sections of the media. A no confidence motion against Bathiudeen was submitted to the Speaker.<\/p>\n

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Azath Salley<\/p><\/div>\n

What is noteworthy here is that there is little in common among Bathiudeem , Hizbullah and Azath Salley apart from the fact that they are Musims and are being listed together by their detractors as having links to the NTJ\/IS organizations. Bathiudeen is an elected member of Parliament while the other two contested and lost elections in 2015. Both were appointed as provincial Governors by President Maithripala Sirisena. Though all three have been heaped together by those demanding action against them, the circumstances relating to ex – cabinet minister Bathiudeen and the two former Governors are vastly different at this point of time. Besides the key figure involved in the mass resignation exercise is Bathiudeen and not the two Governors. Though all three quit their posts on the same day at different times the reasons for the resignations were different.<\/p>\n

Since this article relates to the mass resignation of Muslim ministers, the focus will be more on Bathiudeen and less on Hizbullah and Salley at this juncture. Also it has been Rishad Bathiudeen who has been at the receiving end of sustained vitriolic attacks in recent times. More importantly it is against Rishad Bathiudeen that a no confidence motion has been mooted with 64 MP\u2019s as signatories. It is this singular offensive against Bathiudeen that has influenced the resignation response adopted by Muslim ministers in Govt. The mass resignation was more due to the Bathiudeen factor and not the other two.<\/p>\n

All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) Leader and ex- Cabinet Minister Rishad Bathiudeen is a prominent Sri Lankan politician who has very often been in the news for the wrong reasons. The 46 year old Bathiudeen served as Minister of Industry & Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Co-operative Development and Vocational Training & Skills Development. Bathiudeen hailing from Dharapuram in Mannar district is an engineer by profession. Known widely as Rishad, he was first elected to Parliament from the Northern Wanni electoral district in December 2001. He has been consistently elected as Wanni MP since then in 2004, 2010 and 2015. Rishad has also served continuously since January 2007 as Cabinet minister in the Governments of Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena.<\/p>\n

Caught Up In Controversies<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rishad Bathiudeen has frequently been caught up in controversies in the past. Chief among them was the charge that he had de-forested areas of the Wilpattu national park Forest and constructed a housing schemes to settled displaced Muslims in those cleared lands under the auspices of an \u201c Uthuru Wasanthaya\u201d (Northern Spring) project. The Centre for Environmental Justice filed a petition against the move in 2015 and initiated legal proceedings. Last February, the Court of Appeal fixed the petition for judgment to be delivered on August 6.However on May 28 the Court of Appeal decided to take afresh the case from July 31 onwards before a two-judge-bench comprising Justices Janak de Silva and Nishshanka Bandula Karunaratne.<\/p>\n

The problems and hassles faced by Rishad Bathiudeen in the past have paled into insignificance after the Jihadi terrorist attacks on April 21st this year. As stated earlier Rishad Bathiudeen has been virtually singled out by his critics and detractors as being linked to the NTJ\/ IS group held responsible. After a bitter campaign demanding his ouster from cabinet and\/or or arrest, the Mahinda Rajapaksa led opposition presented a no confidence motion against Rishad Bathiudeen in Parliament. It was signed by 64 MP\u2019s. The text of the motion was as follows \u2013<\/p>\n

Whereas it has been stated by the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army to the \u2018Silumina\u2019 newspaper on 5th May 2019 that pressure was exerted on him to release the suspects apprehended in connection with the terrorist attacks known as the Easter Sunday terrorist attack on nine locations including Christian churches and hotels on 21st April 2019; (3)<\/p>\n

And whereas the factory owned by Imshan Ahmed Ibrahim who carried out the suicide bomb attack on Cinnamon Grand Hotel has been supplied with empty cartridges by the Ministry of Trade and Commerce in breach of procedures;<\/p>\n

And whereas reasonable suspicions have arisen that there had been political influence by allowing the workers of the company which is believed to have used for manufacturing bombs to be released on bail on 06.05.2019 by not producing them to the court under the Prevention of Terrorism Act by the Sri Lanka Police which produced war heroes to the court under the Prevention of Terrorism Act permitting them to be remanded for more than a year;<\/p>\n

And whereas, no action was taken against, though legal action could have been constituted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act against S. K. P. Alahudeen, the Treasurer of the All Ceylon People\u2019s Congress lead by Minister Rishad Bathiudeen for not disclosing the attempts of terrorists to authorities despite being aware of same;<\/p>\n

And whereas two sons of Alhaj Mohammad Ibraim Yusuf Ibrahim, a close associate of the Minister had carried out suicide attacks;<\/p>\n

Coordinating Secretary of Minister<\/strong><\/p>\n

And whereas Abdul Hanuth, a Pradeshiya Sabha member of the All Ceylon People\u2019s Congress and claimed to be a Coordinating Secretary of the Minister has been arrested as a terrorist suspect;<\/p>\n

And whereas a Mavulavi who claims to be an advisor to the Minister has been arrested as a terrorist suspect;<\/p>\n

And whereas Rifkan Bathiudeen, one of the Minister\u2019s brothers, when handed over to the police after being arrested by the army, was released without producing him before the Court, as a result of pressure exerted;<\/p>\n

And whereas a very strong opinion prevails in society based on the information provided by the officers of the security forces and the police that the Minister is exerting undue pressure on the investigations in relation to the Easter Sunday terrorist attack;<\/p>\n

And whereas the Minister holding the portfolio is deemed to be an obstacle for investigations as the police has so far failed to question the Minister in this regard despite the strong suspicion about a powerful link between the Minister and the terrorists;<\/p>\n

That this Parliament resolves that it has no confidence in the competence of Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry & Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Co-operative Development and Vocational Training & Skills Development, to function as a Cabinet Minister any longer.<\/p>\n

Baying for Bathiudeen\u2019s Blood<\/strong><\/p>\n

The opposition led by Mahinda Rajapaksa is baying for Bathiudeen\u2019s blood like a wolf pack. They are demanding his ouster and seeking further action against Rishad. <\/p>\n

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pic via: @rbathiudeen<\/p><\/div>\n

But what would be the position today if the ACMC leader had thrown in his lot with Mahinda Rajapaksa during last year\u2019s October 26 Anti \u2013 Constitutional power grab? Rishad was much in demand then and ardently wooed . Furthermore why is the opposition spearheaded by Mahinda gunning for Rishad Bathiudeen alone instead of the entire Govt? All these and more related matters would be delved into deeply in the forthcoming second part of this article.<\/p>\n

DBS Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com<\/span> <\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This Article was written for the DBS Jeyaraj Column in the “Daily Mirror” of June 8, 2019. It can be accessed here-<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/opinion\/Mass-Resignation–of-Nine-Govt-Ministers-and-Muslim-Politics-Undercurrents\/172-168926<\/a><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj The first few days of this month saw Sri Lanka once again hurtling towards another orgy of anti -Muslim violence. The Buddhist monk Ven. Athureliya Rathana Thero who is also a member of Parliament was on a \u201cfast unto death\u201d in the vicinity of the Kandy \u201cDalada Maligawa\u201d(Temple of Tooth) hallowed by Buddhists …<\/p>\n

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