Vedukkunaari temple dispute: MPs stage protest demanding release of detainees

The arrest of eight persons including the priest of the Vedukkunaari Aadhi Sivan temple in Vavuniya for worshiping at the sacred site on Mahashivratri Day (March 8) figured in Parliament today.

A dispute with the Archeology department claiming that the devotees had damaged the temple's antiquities had led to the arrests.

MPs protesting in the well of the House demanded an immediate solution claiming the Archeology department had made false allocations.

They further demanded that the IGP be brought to the House, as it is a basic human right to observe one’s faith, to which the Deputy speaker Ajith Rajapaksa responded saying it was not possible to do so.

Despite being granted permission via a court order for the devotees to carry out their worship, the police had restricted the devotees from entering the site, forcefully removing the protestors from the area.

It was reported that five of the eight arrested individuals had launched a hunger strike, demanding their release.

Eventually the eight suspects were released by courts today.