If expelled from UNP: Ranjan vows to remain independent in Parliament

• Says will not join another party

By Yohan Perera  

State Minister Ranjan Ramanayake yesterday said he will sit as an independent MP in Parliament if he is expelled from the UNP over the comments he had made on Buddhist monks.  

He said this while speaking to journalists after appearing before the UNP disciplinary committee appointed to look into the allegations he had made against monks. The State Minister actually responded to a question raised by the journalists as to what he would do in the event he is expelled from the party.   

“I will sit as an independent MP in Parliament if I am expelled from the party. However, I will not join another party but will contest the next general elections from an independent list. Getting into Parliament contesting from an independent group is not a difficult task for me,” the state Minister said.   

Mr. Ramanayake said he handed over a file containing several documents pertaining to court cases filed against monks and some affidavits to the committee headed by Minister Tilak Marapana.  “The disciplinary committee members were amazed and requested me to provide more documents. I promised the committee to hand over more documents next week,” he said.   

The State Minister was recently quoted saying that 90 percent of the Buddhist monks who behaved in an aggressive manner have been sexually abused by chief incumbents of the respective temples they resided in.   

It was also reported earlier that he had allegedly criticized the chief monk of the Kelaniya Temple.