Ranil says Pillayan group was behind police killings

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday accused the Pillayan group of shooting two policemen in the east, following the Eastern Provincial Council election.

Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing the gathering in Kandy

Speaking at a function organised in Kandy to felicitate the services of party members who helped in the Eastern Provincial Council election campaign Mr. Wickremesinghe said the policemen had been shot as they had not allowed the Pillayan group to engage in fraudulent acts during the election.

He said the public should take to the streets to protest against the actions of the Pillayan group and demand that the police be protected from the group.“Pillayan has a history of killing policemen, but what did the President do? He gave him a guard of honour and appointed him Chief Minister,” Mr.Wickremesinghe said.

He said the appointment was made despite protests from another Government supporter, M. L. A. M. Hisbullah, and that this had resulted in heightened tension between Muslims and Tamils in the east.

He said the eastern election was a fraud and that the people should strongly protest about the manner in which the elections were conducted. Mr. Wickremesinghe said that the media was also being suppressed by the Government.