23 February 2021 12:00 am
By Yohan Perera
Patience of Sri Lankan Catholics is fast running out and they will take to the streets any time if the report of the Presidential Commission is not published, an SJB Catholic MP said yesterday.
SJB MP Dr. Kavinda Jayawardne told a press conference that Catholics across the country will be compelled to take to the streets if the report is not made a public document and presented to Parliament.
“We have seen the Catholics of Katuwapitiya coming out to the street recently and it won’t be long when Catholics in all parts of the country come out in protest. Catholics are spending the season of lent currently which is a period prior to Easter. Therefore they will be compelled to take to the streets if justice is not meted out by Easter this year ,” Dr. Jayawardene said.
All Catholic MPs were to meet Cardinal Ranjith to discuss the situation but it was cancelled by the Archbishop’s house as some MPs were trying to politicise it.
Also the MP welcomed the comments made by Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella on Sunday who said the five-member committee appointed to look into the Presidential Commission report was questionable.
Meanwhile UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara who responded to a question raised by journalists at a briefing in Sirikotha said the government seemed to be playing a political game by appointing a five-member committee. “Three out of five members of this committee face court cases. Therefore it is hard to believe that this committee will mete out justice,” he said.