Legal action should be filed if Salley has made any hate speech: SJB MP

Legal action should be filed against former Governor Azath Salley if he has made any hate speech but it is not correct to hold him in custody without taking any action, an SJB MP said yesterday.

SJB MP Mujibur Rahman told a press conference that legal action should be taken against Mr. Salley if he had made statements which prompt ethnic and religious tension, but holding him in custody continuously is not a healthy move.

“I don’t know what Mr. Salley has really said as I only heard what the media reported. However legal action should be taken against him if he had made provoking statements. Holding him in custody continuously is not a healthy thing. One could interpret such a move as suppression of his right to express,” Mr. Rahman said.

Mr. Rahman who referred to the reports on the move by the Government to ban Burka said, wearing a full face helmet by motorcyclists should also be banned as that is also a threat to national security. Laws should not be aimed at harassing one ethnic and religious group,” he said.

Also the MP said he will take legal action against MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakse whom he said had made a false accusation against him. Mr. Rajapakse was quoted saying that Mr. Rahman is one of the persons who were behind the Easter Sunday attack.

SJB MP Nalin Bandara who also participated in the press conference questioned as to why Sri Lanka’s State Intelligence Chief Suresh Salley was not questioned by the Presidential Commission which probed the Easter Sunday attacks. “One wonders as to why Mr. Salley who had met Zahran in India was not questioned by the Presidential Commission which probed the Easter Sunday attacks. MP Mano Ganesan who held a press conference later said a national level discussion should take place on legal reforms.“aspirations of all ethnic and religious groups should be considered when changing Sri Lanka’s legal system,” he said. (YOHAN PERERA)