Namal Karunaratne demands Rs.500 million as damages from Mahindananda Aluthgamage

• Making an oral defamatory statement regarding his involvement to the ongoing farmers' protests
• Urges Minister Aluthgamage to pay a sum of Rs.500 million as damages within 14 days

By: Lakmal Sooriyagoda 

National Organiser of the All Ceylon Farmers' Federation and former JVP Parliamentarian Namal Karunaratne has sent a letter of demand claiming Rs.500 million as damages from Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage  for allegedly making an oral defamatory statement regarding his involvement to the ongoing farmers' protests.

This letter of demand has been sent through Attorney-at-law Sunil Watagala urging Minister Aluthgamage to pay a sum of Rs.500 million as damages within 14 days. It has warned that legal action will be instituted if the money is not paid within two weeks.

Watagala stated that the alleged defamatory statement made by Mahindananda Aluthgamage had been aired on two private television channels on 17th of October.

The lawyer alleged that the statement indirectly suggests (innuendo) that Namal Karunaratne has obtained money from chemical fertilizer companies to bring farmers to the streets demanding fertilizer for the Maha season.
Watagala said the accusations made by Minister against his client are baseless and fabricated and are calculated to defame and tarnish the reputation of his client as an active politician attached to the JVP.