Has State Minister Vijayakala with her statement on LTTE violated the Constitution?

State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran’s statement on the need for the reorganization of the LTTE had landed her in a huge political turmoil.

 

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has informed the Attorney General to look into whether State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran’s controversial statement has violated the Constitution or any laws and to take necessary legal action.

 

Parliament session was suspended briefly owing to a tense situation erupted over the statement made by Child Affairs State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran, with regard to the LTTE recently.

“It is seen that there is a huge need of reorganization of the LTTE in the North and East,” State Minister of Child Affairs Vijayakala Maheswaran claimed addressing yesterday the 'Janapathi Nila Mehewara' event at the Weerasingham Hall in Jaffna.

 

She said that reports relating to traces of LTTE reorganizing are heard regularly as a result of the people in the North and the East not willing to discard the LTTE from their hearts.

“Now we remember how we lived before May 18, 2009. In the present conditions our main intention is to bring back the LTTE If we want to live, if we want to walk freely, if we need our children to attend schools and return back.,” she said.

 

Earlier today, the Parliament session, which was briefly suspended and has been adjourned till tomorrow following the tense situation erupted over the statement made by State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran with regard to the LTTE.

 

Also, in the meantime, Joint Opposition MP Shehan Semasinghe at a press conference held in Colombo today UNP should take the responsibility of State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran’s statement requesting for a LTTE regime, states the Joint Opposition.

 

Her statement is the future expectation of the current government seeing as there were 2 other Ministers and several other MPs at the premises when she said it, points out MP Semasinghe.

Prof. G. L. Peiris, joining the press conference, stated that, the current government is silent when there are rules prohibiting speech or action loyal to the LTTE pertaining to even abroad.

At the same time, the UNP MP Kavinda Jayawardene responding to media this morning (03), said that he condemns the statement made by the State Minister Maheswaran.

 

He says that the current government has done an immense service to the Tamil citizens of North who suffered from the war and established a democratic frame needed for reconciliation.

According to the MP, the minister would not have made a statement as such, if she had known the services done by the government for the people of North.

 

However, questioning the motive behind the statement, MP Jayawardena said that he suspects it to be political gain or the doing of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to cover up the recent conflict regarding the New York Times article.

The government has reaffirmed the right of former LTTE cadres to live as civilians after rehabilitation and terrorism will not be able to raise their head under the current government, he further said.

 

MP says that there is a suspicion that Minister Vijayakala Maheshwaran has become a part of the racist and religious extremist groups in the South.

President and Security forces will take a decision regarding the incident, and the law should be carried out without being concerned about titles, Jayawardena further said.

- Asian Tribune -