Thursday, April 24, 2014

Sri Lanka: BBS challenges govt. to arrest Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph

Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph
General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) yesterday challenged the government to take legal action against Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph forthwith who, he alleged, had helped the LTTE.
"If the government had the backbone and if its conscience was clear it should without hesitation arrest the Mannar Bishop for atrocities committed by the now defunct terrorist outfit," he said.

Claiming that the BBS was not scared of either the government or any other political party, Ven. Gnanasara added that what the organisation was doing was protecting Buddhism from religious extremists and other elements who were all out to wipe out Buddhism from the Country.

Addressing a news conference at the BBS headquarters in Kirulapone, Ven. Ganasara warned President Rajapaksa to beware of conspirators within the government.

He said that BBS had not attacked a single mosque nor any other religious institution though it had been targeted by extremist forces, NGOs and some ministers in the government.

The monk asked why the government was keeping silent on that matter.

Ven. Gnanasara said that National Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara should be questioned by police as he had made a serious statement to a newspaper claiming that the BBS consisted of terrorists disguised as Buddhists
by Harischandra Gunaratna
The Island