Thursday, 21 February 2013

UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe says that the Norwegian ambassador in Colombo makes secret visits to the Bodhu Bala Sena headquarters and that members of Bodhu Bala Sena are also summoned to Norway at various times for discussions and given financial assistance. He has made this statement at the UNP parliamentary group meeting on the 19th. The UNP Leader has said that General Secretary of Bodhu Bala Sena, Ven. Galagodatte Gnanasara Thero and theoretician Dilantha Vithanage are looking at contesting separately at the next provincial council election if the issuing of halal certificates are not banned. However, Bodhu Bala Sena is facing a split because another group in the organization has opposed this position.

UNP Kalutara District parliamentarian Attorney Ajith P. Perera has said that Bodhu Bala Sena is a front organization of the President. He has observed that the head of the organization, Ven. Kirama Wimalajothi Thero is closely linked to the President and had carried out his campaign work in the Mulkirigala electorate during elections. The President had also gifted a commercially valuable piece of land in Thunmulla to the Thero to set up the Sri Sambuddhathva Jayanthi Center.

Perera has said that Presidential advisor, Milinda Moragoda’s office was also located at this Center and that Vithanage was appointed as an advisor to Minister S.B. Navinna’s ministry through a Cabinet paper.

Another UNP MP has said that the National Organizer of Bodhu Bala Sena, Ven. Vitharandeniye Nanda Thero’s father had conducted a house to house campaign in Beliatte when Mahinda Rajapaksa had entered politics to muster support for the young Rajapaksa. The parliamentarian has said that Ven. Galagodatte Gnanasara Thero was a founding member of the Jathika Hela Urumaya and that he had met the President and Defence Secretary on several occasions.

Concluding the meeting, the party leader has said that the UNP should not get involved with the halal issue. He has said he would observe a middle path in the issue while MP Mangala Samaraweera would stand for the rights of the Muslim people. The party leader had then connected with MP Anoma Gamage’s husband, Daya Gamage and asked him to be critical of the Bodhu Bala Sena in the Eastern Provincial Council. However, our sources say that Daya Gamage had not responded positively to the directive.