Parliament heats up over Vigneswaran's remarks

COLOMBO (News1st): Government and opposition lawmakers engaged in a one-sided debate on Thursday seeking the removal of parliamentarian C.V. Vigneswaran's controversial remarks from the Hansard. Calls have mounted to remove Vigneswaran's statement that was made during the first sitting of Parliament that the country is the ancestral land of the Tamils, from the Hansard that records parliamentary speeches. "When taking oaths on the first day, they pledged to refrain from directly or indirectly supporting separatism. Vigneswaran made this statement against that oath," Nalin Bandara, an opposition lawmaker pointed out. However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana said any parliamentarian has the right to express their own views, sparking off a heated atmosphere during the sitting. "Any parliamentarian has the right to express their views regardless of whether its the stance of the government or the opposition," the speaker said. Manusha Nanayakkara, a Samagi Jana Balawegaya parliamentarian, has been on the forefront seeking to expunge the remarks of the parliamentarian. He said that he had requested to remove the statement claiming that this country is the ancestral land of the Tamils. "...we are of the view that his racist statement must be definitely removed from the Hansard," state minister Sarath Weerasekara said.