Ranawaka arrest is "a political witch-hunt" - Opposition

Politicians, monks and civil society activists from the Opposition today (19) denounced the arrest of former minister Patali Champika Ranawaka as a "political witch-hunt" conducted by the government.

Mr Ranawaka, who was arrested by police last night in connection with a road accident that took place in 2016, was remanded again till December 24 after being produced before the Colombo Magistrate's Court today. arr

However, a group of MPs from the United National Party (UNP), members representing Mr Ranawaka's party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) as well as civil society representatives and lawyers who held a press conference this afternoon insisted that the former minister's arrest was aimed at politically assassinating him. 

Addressing the media briefing, JHU Co-Chairman Ven. Hedigalle Vimalasara Thera accused President Gotabaya Rajapaksa directly of being behind the move to arrest Mr Ranawaka, stating that the President had given the order as he knew Mr Ranawaka "was a far better national leader than he (President) will ever be."

He accused President Rajapaksa of betraying the mandate given to him at the presidential election by 6.9 million voters. "The government boasts that Mr Rajapaksa was voted President by a majority of Sinhala Buddhists, but barely a month after being elected, he has chosen to go after a well-respected leader of those same Sinhala Buddhists. The voters did not vote for this type of political witch-hunts. We condemn this move to silence Mr Ranawaka. It will fail," the Thera stressed. 

UNP MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara meanwhile said the arrest was another indicator that the situation that prevailed before the 2015 presidential election had returned. He claimed that police had not followed due process when arresting Mr Ranawaka and had also failed to inform the Speaker as per parliamentary tradition. 

He insisted that the UNP would give its fullest support to Mr Ranawaka. 

Former Justice Minister Thalatha Atukorale noted that the case against Mr Ranawaka had been filed "in unusual haste" and questioned whether this indicates that the police and Attorney General's Department had come under political influence to move against Mr Ranawaka.

UNP MP Hirunika Premachandra asked if certain sections of the media, whom she accused of openly backing Gotabaya Rajapaksa during the presidential election were happy now that the suppression that existed during the previous Rajapaksa government was back. She also asked if Buddhist monks who back Mr Rajapaksa could in good faith approve of the moves to target Mr Ranawaka who was a respect Sinhala Buddhist leader.   

(By Sandun Jayawardana)