TNA MP glorifies Praba

  Parliamentarian from Sri Lanka’s Tamil National Alliance (TNA) S.Sritharan Tuesday praised former LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran in parliament amidst protests by governing party members. Sritharan read a prepared statement in the House today, which is also the birth anniversary of Prabhakaran, about the LTTE’s cause.

Justifying the LTTE’s cause as a freedom struggle, the TNA MP said it was the reason for a majority of the Tamil people to vote for the TNA at the recently concluded elections for the Northern Provincial Council. He said that the slain LTTE leaders and cadres need to be commemorated.

“Today, the people of the North have been displaced, and they have to be given an environment in which they could live in peace and harmony.Even though we asked the government for funds to develop the North,the people voted for us to live with self-respect. Now, we see that the government is getting aid to suppress the rights of the Tamils. That will mean other powers will invade Sri Lanka,” Sritharan said.

 Governing party members in parliament have then opposed Sritharan’s statement.

Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake described Prabhakaran as a gross murderer and responsible for the killing of leaders from both communities.

He revealed that a fleeing civilian shot by the LTTE leader during the last fight tipped off the government forces of the slain terrorist leader’s location.

The Minister said it was the LTTE who shot the civilians carrying white flags during the final phase of the humanitarian mission.

Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara and governing party MP Hunais Farook have also objected to Sritharan’s speech and requested for the controversial comments to be expunged from the Hansard, the parliamentary record book. (Lakbima)