Eastern Province Chief Minister and leader of Tamil Makkal Vidudhalai Pulikal (TMVP) Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, yesterday said, his party had taken a policy decision to continue with its support for President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government.
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| Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan |
“We were told by the President to continue to work with the people without creating an unpleasant situation,” he told the Sunday Times.
This assurance followed a series of incidents that included a search of the office and residence of the Chief Minister.
President Rajapaksa held discussions with the TMVP after they had said they would withdraw support for the government in protest over the search.Mr. Chandrakanthan also said the President had assured that he would obtain a report from the Police Chief about the arrest of five TMVP members in Batticaloa. They were arrested over the killing of the coordinating secretary of Deputy Minister Vinyagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna.
Among the five arrested was Edwin Silva Krishnanandaraja alias Pradeep Master, a member of the Eastern Provincial Council. Initially two TMVP members--Golden Benjamin and Anandaraja Dilakshan, were arrested, reportedly after the victim’s family claimed they were linked to the killing.
The victim, Rasamanikkam Madiyalagan, a former Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) member who worked as an army informant later joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) after Mr. Muralitharan was appointed a vice president of the party.
Mr. Madiyalagan was crippled after he was shot and injured by the LTTE while he was taking part in an anti-LTTE protest in Batticaloa in 2006.
Recently he had been accused of mishandling money at a Hindu temple of which he was a trustee. His residence was located close to the temple.
Soon after his killing on May 11, the Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya visited the area and chaired a high level security meeting to review security measures in the locality.
Two more TMVP cadres who were wanted in connection with the killing had later surrendered to the Batticaloa police.
In a separate incident, on May 13, a liquor shop owner and supporter of the TMVP was shot and injured in Kaluwanchchikudy. He succumbed to his injuries later. |
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