Shameful to see PM take position of protocol minister-Kalyananda Thiranagama

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Several politically important persons shared their thoughts on Prime Minister Modi's visit to Sri Lanka yesterday (June 09) Ven. Galagama Dhamma Ransi Thero, Deputy Chairman of the Desha Vimukthi Janatha Peramuna noted that in a sense India's involvement over the course of history had harmed the identity and the integrity of Sri Lanka. The Thero added that LTTE cadres were facilitated to conspire against Sri Lanka on Indian soil. According to the Thero, if the prime minister of India truly cared about the well being of Sri Lanka, he would have walked an extra mile and intervened at a state level to avoid the Islamic extremism that befell the country on the 21st of April and a terrible tragedy would have been averted. Kalyananda Thiranagama, Senior Lawyer shared same thoughts on the matter and questioned why India only warned the intelligence units in Sri Lanka and not the President? He added that India wants to run Sri Lanka under them as well as to keep off the ISIS terrorists out of their jurisdiction. Nimalsiri Jayatilleke, Senior Lecturer at the Open University noted that India wanted to eradicate LTTE terrorism only when they posed a threat to their India and before that they used LTTE as an instrument to subjugate Sri Lanka. He added that India behaves in the same manner with all the other neighbouring countries in the region. Meanwhile, the behaviour of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during the visit of the Indian Premier was denounced by the opposition. Udaya Gammanpila, Leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya sarcastically questioned why the Indian premier did not reserve a time to meet the prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe even when he met the leader of the opposition and the former opposition leader R. Sampanthan. The MP humorously added that the prime minister shamefully ran to the Indian premier on his arrival at the airport and conducted the duties of a protocol minister. He concluded that it was the first time a prime minister had carried out the duties of a protocol minister, and with that prime minister had humiliated the post of Sri Lankan prime minister. Kalyananda Thiranagama, Senior Lawyer added that he too was disgusted to witness the deputy leader of the party being forced out and his place taken by the prime minister.