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Premakeerthi’s wife drops bombshell at road-naming ceremony
An unexpected drama took place at the ceremony on Thursday to name the stretch of road between the Sri Lanka Broadcasting
Mrs. De Alwis makes an accusation while presenting her book to the President
Corporation (SLBC) and the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) after famous radio announcer and song writer, the late Premakeerthi De Alwis.
It began when Nirmala De Alwis, the wife of the late song writer who was slain in 1989 during the height of the JVP uprising, handed over a copy of a book written by her to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the chief guest at the event. In this book titled, “Premakeerthini” Mrs. De Alwis alleges that a person holding a top post in the SLBC was behind the killing of her husband.
A visibly emotional Mrs. De Alwis lamented aloud for all to hear as she handed over the book to the President, “Those who killed him are around you. Why are you protecting them?”
The President maintained a stoic silence during the outburst and was seen reading parts of the book as she spoke. Later he moved away quietly from the scene and left the venue soon afterwards.
Pix by M.D. Nissanka
At a public meeting held afterwards Colombo Mayor M.J.M. Muazzamil said, “I don’t see the SLBC Chairman Hudson Samarasinghe here but if he was here then he would remember I too was on the Board of Directors of the SLBC along with him during those years.”
An exhibition depicting the atrocities of the JVP during the 89 period had also been organised. A photograph of Premakeerthi too was on display.
Meanwhile, on Friday, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva told reporters at a news conference that the Government had attempted to use the naming of the road after Premakeerthi De Alwis to sling mud at the JVP but it had misfired.
“Mrs. De Alwis publicly said that the man responsible for the killing of her husband was holding a top post at the SLBC today,” he said.