Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka yesterday charged that the ‘cooked up’ story of Pakistan- aided nuclear plants in Sri Lanka was part of a major conspiracy to put the lives of Sri Lankan nuclear scientists in danger.

“This story fabricated by a group comprising Indians and Sri Lankans and an Indian media group, had twin purposes. One was to blacklist Sri Lanka internationally by creating a major suspicion on the country’s power plans. The other was to put the lives of Sri Lankan nuclear scientists in danger and get them annihilated as in the case of Iran to prevent any advancement of nuclear technology in Sri Lanka” the minister alleged.

Calling the media report on a possible Pakistan-sponsored nuclear plant in Sampur  ‘a blatant lie’ the minister said as India’s vote against Sri Lanka in Geneva failed to garner expected support except in Tamil Nadu, anti- Sri Lankan elements hatched this plot to mobilize other Indian states also against Sri Lanka to  create an anti- Sri Lankan din, internationally.

“Across the globe nuclear scientists are being targeted and killed. Sri Lanka has absolutely no plans to operate nuclear plants in the immediate future – not for the next fifteen twenty years. What we are doing right now is introducing nuclear science to various fields in order to create awareness on the subject’ Minister Ranawaka emphasized. (Duminda Sanjeewa Balasuriya)