News
Jeevan,CWC members protest outside police station over dispute with estate company
View(s):By Kasun Warakapitiya and Shelton Hettiaarachchi
Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Minister Jeevan Thondaman yesterday staged a protest in front of the Nuwara Eliya Police station after a complaint lodged by a plantation company over the minister’s behaviour, whereby he allegedly threatened the senior staff at one of its tea estates.
Minister Thondaman spent more than an hour in front of the headquarters inspector’s office in Nuwara Eliya, arguing and challenging the police to arrest him.
The incident occurred while a senior official from the Pedru Estate under the Kelani Valley Plantations company called over to complain to the police over an incident at the estate on Thursday.
Supporters of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), of which Mr. Thondaman is the General Secretary, also gathered around the police station.
Mr. Thondaman later told his supporters that the estate management had agreed to withdraw the complaint and requested the crowds to disperse.
However, a senior police officer said the complaint had not been withdrawn.
The confrontation was sparked by a previous incident when Minister Thondaman and his supporters protested the suspension of some of the estate workers after they defied a management order to plant cocoa instead of tea in a section of the estate.
Minister Thondaman and his supporters stormed into the estate office and also blocked the transportation of tea from the estate to the auction.
A Plantation Association spokesperson said yesterday that they were planning to meet with those in the industry to decide what action should be taken about the incidents.
He claimed that one of the senior estate staff officials had also been hospitalised after Minister Thondaman and his supporters stormed the estate office.
When contacted by the Sunday Times yesterday, Mr. Thondaman said he was unable to comment as he was busy resolving the issue.
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