Rishad arrested as precursor to Harin's arrest?

COLOMBO (News1st): Parliamentarian Rishad Bathiudeen had been arrested as part of moves to arrest MP Harin Fernando, Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thero has said. "The government has committed this shameful act to lay the environment for the arrest of Harin Fernando," Ven. Sumangala Thero, the convenor of Movement to Defeat the Hysteria of Despotism said. He pointed out that Rishad Bathiudeen is a close ally of Basil Rajapaksa who allowed him to act according to his free will before 2015. "We haven't forgotten that the parliamentarians of Rishad Bathiudeen's party and Rauf Hakeem's party had voted in favour of the 20th amendment so that the government could pass it with a two-thirds majority," he added. But agriculture minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that Rishad Bathiudeen had been arrested based on evidence that had come to light. He also accused the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna of maintaining ties with extremist groups. "We are being asked to punish those responsible who have been identified in the commission report. When we do that, they say that we are suppressing the opposition," Aluthgamage said. Opposition lawmaker Thushara Indunil said that the government is carrying out these arrests to cover up its shortcomings and scams. He said that this includes the sugar scam, the importation of substandard coconut oil, deforestation, and the failure to identify the mastermind of the April 21st attacks.