President Ranil Wickremesinghe has assured action against police officers who had ‘violently disrupted’ a Hindu religious offering at the controversial archaeological site at Kurunthurmalai in Mullaitivu.
Prior to leaving on a visit to India, he has told PLOTE leader Dharmalingam Siddarthan to make a full complaint against the incident.
He promised action against ASP H. Samudrajeewa and other police officers for opposing the Pongal Pooja on 14 July permitted by courts, said the MP.
The incident at the site claimed by both Hindus and Buddhists and gazetted as an archaeological site in 1933 is now a matter before courts.
Mullaitivu magistrate T. Saravanarasa yesterday (20) ordered archaeological officials to submit a report at the next hearing on 08 August.
The prosecuting lawyer submitted pictures and video footage of the incident as well as copies of the complaints made to the police and the human rights commission.
Copies of the complaints have also been handed over to Canadian high commissioner Eric Walsh.
The foreign diplomat has visited Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu for talks on sociopolitical issues.
The Canadian envoy's trip to the north has angered MP Sarath Weerasekara, who said the high commissioner had met the Tamil people and their politicians who tried to create a communal and religious conflict at Kurundi by trying to destroy a Dagaba which is more than 2000 years old.
Meanwhile, TNA leader R. Sampanthan has told the media that the disruption of the religious event showed there is no end to the harassment of the Tamil people by Buddhist monks and Sinhala extremist groups.
He called for international attention to attacks against the religious freedom of Tamils.
