President denies accusing RAW of assassination plot

Colombo (News 1st) - The Presidents Media Division issuing a release says the President has not mentioned any involvement of an Indian Intelligence service in the alleged plot to assassinate him. The PMD issued this press release after an article was published in the Hindu newspaper today (October 17). The Hindu Newspaper reported that at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, President Sirisena reportedly said “the Indian national must be a RAW agent trying to kill me. The article goes on to say "The Indian PM may not be aware. That is often the case. Trump may not be aware of CIA’s similar moves.” Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is due to reach India during the weekend and call on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The media reported today that the President did not approve a cabinet paper submitted by the Prime Minister to hand over the East Terminal of the Colombo Port to India for development.

PMD refutes assassination claims 

Issuing the release the President's Media Division said the president has not mentioned any involvement of an Indian intelligence service in the alleged plot to assassinate him. The release goes on to say that at the said cabinet meeting, the president emphasized the need to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the alleged assassination plot. The release further says among other topics discussed at various time during the said cabinet meeting, was the development of the Eastern Terminal of the Colombo port. The President Media Division says the High Commissioner of India called on the President this morning and during the meeting, all matters were clarified and bilateral relations were reassured. Secretary to the Cabinet of Ministers S. Abeysinghe has also issued a media release today stating that the statements published by the newspapers were false. At the cabinet meeting, Minister Rajitha Senaratne refuted the claims made by media with regard to the alleged statement on RAW.

Who's behind these media reports?

The Hindu Newspaper had published this article at a time when the Prime Minister is due to engage in a tour to India this Friday. Yesterday they reported that the progress of certain projects that are to be carried out by India in Sri Lanka are slow. The Hindu reported yesterday that from the Indian side, “priority projects” in the island include the Mattala airport, near the China-controlled port in the Southern Hambantota District; the Palaly airport in Jaffna in the Northern Province; the Trincomalee oil tank farm in the east; the East Container Terminal at the Colombo Port and a Liquefied natural gas plant in Kerawalapitiya, north of Colombo. One can question as to whether there is a conspiracy to create turmoil after the president is said to have made a strong statement about the country's resources. On a prior occasion, Maria Abi Habib of New York Times filed a report that the Former President had obtained a bribe from China. Maria Abi Habib was based in New Delhi and several weeks after her article the former president called on the Indian Prime Minister. When the Prime Minister is about to travel to India, once again, The Hindu, which is an Indian media outlet is trying to report certain facts about the President. The Editor of the Hindu Newspaper N. Ram and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe are close friends. They have met each other on several occasions here at home as well as in India and the newspaper has written many articles praising and commending the Prime Minister. It is clear, before the public of the country, as to who has the ability to publish a statement allegedly made by the president on international media. All this is unfolding in a backdrop where the Fmr TID Chief DIG Nalaka De Silva is being investigated for plotting to assassinate the President. Two LMG type firearms were issued to the TID and those weapons are now in courts. The various parties that are revealing details about this case have cast suspicions on the involvement of the IGP of the country as well.

Namal Kumara and the Indian National

When an Indian National was arrested for being involved in the case, the Indian High Commission in Colombo was quick to respond saying that the arrested individual was mentally ill. The High Commission made this statement and it is not clear as to what scientific data backed their claim. Namal Kumara stated that the Indian national had a map in his hand which he claimed he got from the post office. Kumara goes on to state that, when questioned, the Indian had told him about all the secret assassinations around the world. Kumara believes that this person was not an ordinary civilian and that he continued to speak of how people are killed by chemical attacks and poisonous weapons. Namal Kumara then stated that the Indian had asked him to protect himself as there is a threat to his safety and if nobody is there in order to protect him, the Indian national would.

Is Rajendra Kumar the assassin? 

MP Wimal Weerawansa the leader of the National Freedom Front stated that the Indian national who was arrested had come to his house twice looking for him. MP Weerawanse stated that when he looked into who the person is, it turns out that the name he used in Sri Lanka is not the same as he carries in RAW. MP Wimal Weerawanse states that this person name is Rajendra Kumar under the ID R.B. 317217/V.J. He notes that Rajendra Kumar had first come to the country before the 2015 Presidential Election as a person seeking political refuge. MP Wimal Weerawanse then stated that this person has been since working for RAW and that this is why the Indian High Commission was quick to state he was a mental patient the moment he was arrested.   The people of Sri Lanka expect a clarification from those who are accountable, to validate the claims made by Namal Kumara and Wimal Weerawansa as true or false. Nevertheless, it is clear that what is a priority to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, at the end of the day, is to sell off the country's valuable resources to other countries in the world. However, the Prime Minister has no constitutional power to enter into agreements with another country. He does not have the mandate of the Cabinet at the very least to do so. The people of Sri Lanka are already facing the consequences of the Free Trade Agreement Minister Malik Samarawickrama signed with Singapore. The general public is well aware that those who have signed such agreements using the people of this country as scapegoats have certainly lined their own pockets. The bottom line is, they are selling this country to the world through various conspiracies. Former MP Chandrasena Wijesinghe notes that at a time when all routes of income into the country have collapsed and at a time which is opportune for the country to generate income, Ranil Wickremesinghe is practically donating and auctioning off the country's economy to the regional powerhouses as if it were his personal property. He then questions "what right does the Prime Minister have to do this? What right does he have to hand over the country's resources to the powerhouses in the world?"