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Remove Sampanthan, arrest Wigneswaran: Sinhala Ravaya

A Sinhala radical Buddhist monk outfit Tuesday urged the government to remove main Opposition leader R. Sampanthan and arrest Northern Provincial Council (NPC) Chief Minister C.V Wigneswaran, accusing them of trying to achieve what the Tamil Tiger rebels could not achieve at gunpoint.

Magalkande Sudantha Thera of Sinhala demanded the immediate appointment of Sinhala Opposition leader, charging the TNA leader of only representing the interest of the Tamils in the county.

“They need to appoint an Opposition leader who can represent the interest of the majority Sinhala community. The incumbent Opposition leader should be removed with immediate effect,” Magalkande Sudantha Thera said at a media conference held at Bodhu Bala Sena office in Colombo.

Claiming that the situation is deteriorating, he said it was due to the absence of a Sinhala Opposition leader.

“The incumbent Opposition leader is only talking about the interest of the Tamil people. He is trying to win the demands of only the Tamil people. Both the Opposition leader and the Northern Chief Minister are trying to achieve what the LTTE could not achieve at gunpoint, in the name of reconciliation,” he said.

Commenting on proposals of the NPC to the Consultative Committee of the Constitutional Reforms, the hardline monk questioned President, Prime Minister the Cabinet of Ministers “whether they are scared of Northern Chief Minister Wigneswaran”.

“He is making statements aiming to push the country back into the clutches of terrorism and create bloodbath. He should be made withdraw his statements. He should be arrested and questioned for making statements in gross violation of the constitution,” Magalkande Sudantha Thera of Sinhala demanded.