7 July 2016 04:46 pm
Ven. Thera said he was ready for an open debate anywhere in the country, or in Medina in Saudi Arabia.
“Salley had threatened that he would blow himself up like a suicide bomber and kill me over a statement I made in Mahiyanganaya. Salley’s statement is shocking to Sinhala Buddhist society and now it will become a major controversy in the social media,” Ven. Thera said.
The Thera had also condemned the burning of Buddhist flags in Mahiyangana on the Wesak Poya day by Muslim extremists, over a preaching of Dhamma against cattle slaughter.
“A protest was held in the area. The extremists not even feel sorry for burning the flags. They had also had lodged a complaint with the Police IGP,” Gnanasara Thera said.
Meanwhile, BBS Chief Executive Officer Dilantha Withanage said making such statements was a violation of Fundamental Rights of Gnanasara Thera and the country people.
“I would like to ask Azath Salley in view of Sinhala Buddhist people, who he is? If there was an insult to the God that he believes in, he should let that God handle it. Is he the representative of the God to mete out punishments?” Withanage said.
“We request the Government to conduct an immediate investigation over Salley’s statement and to take a clear decision to arrest him and to remove him from the Government post.
“We would launch an open debate under the leadership of Gnanasara Thera in society like the ‘Panadura Wadaya’, if President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and IGP Pujith Jayasundara do not act on this,” he said. (Chaturanga Pradeep)