Hot words exchanged in Parliament

By Ravi Ladduwahetty-Tuesday, 26 Nov 2013

A fierce exchange of words erupted during the ongoing budget debate in Parliament today with Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP, S. Sritharan, highlighting the need to commemorate LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, and Higher Education Minister, S.B. Dissanayake, retaliating by describing Prabhakaran as a gross murderer.

Earlier, Sritharan had said the slain LTTE leader needed to be commemorated as he was a freedom fighter, and that was why the majority of the Tamil people had voted for the TNA at the recently concluded elections to the Northern Provincial Council.

"Today, the people of the North have been displaced, and they have to be given an environment in which they could live in peace and harmony. Even though we asked the government for funds to develop the North, the people voted for us to live with self respect. Now, we see that the government is getting aid to suppress the rights of the Tamils. That will mean other powers will invade Sri Lanka," the TNA MP said.

An angry Higher Education Minister, S.B. Dissanayake said: "MP Sritharan is claiming that Prabhakaran was a freedom fighter and a hero. Who were those listening to the Tamil youths when they were coming to Parliament with white flags? Prabhakaran also shot the youth who disarmed and crossed over to this side. It was one of them who said that Prabhakaran was in the Nandikadal Lagoon. Please do not forget that!
"Who killed the leaders of the TULF, TELO and EPDP?" Dissanayake queried, and reiterated that Prabkaran was not a hero.

He also reminded the TNA that it was after 105 years that a civil administration had been established in the North, and remarked that the government was creating a united Sri Lanka for all communities to live in peace.
The Minister alleged that Sritharan was rousing communal and racial tension, and added, the government would never have made the effort to rebuild the Jaffna University to its present stature if it had racism in mind.
Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara and UNP Kurunegala District MP, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, also hurled abuse at Sritharan.