Sarath Weerasekera clashes with Nalin Bandara, challenges to prove allegations

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (Retd) Dr. Sarath Weerasekara has challenged opposition lawmakers to prove that he or anyone close to him had taken clothes for any person that was detained by Police. He said if proven, he is ready to step down.

He alleged that opposition lawmaker Nalin Bandara made a media show by displaying a bag of clothes that he had brought for teachers who were arrested for protesting and that he was not able to give it to the teachers.

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said clothing is not the main issue at hand and said the main concern was why teachers arrested by various police stations were moved together to the Harbour Police.

'If a person is arrested by Police he or she is detained at the respective local police station,' said the MP adding the teachers who were arrested were those who only took part in the protest and they were detained when returning home.

Those arrests were pre-planned, he alleged while noting that most of these teachers, as well as university students, were arrested by those who were NOT in uniform.

"This is serious because what are we to do when underworld gangsters also start abducting people," he stressed.

He said Sri Lanka Police is operating as a Jungle Police and slammed the conduct of police officers who even reject to identify themselves.

'Address these issues officially and I will respond,' said Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (Retd) Dr. Sarath Weerasekara.

Opposition MP Nalin Bandara responding to the Minister said he would bring the recording of Piumi Hansamali who thanked the Minister for providing clothes and allowing them to move to Bandarawel for quarantine purposes.