SLPP supporters clash in Deniyaya, three hospitalised

COLOMBO (News1st): Three people have been hospitalized following a clash this morning between a group of supporters of two candidates of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) The incident occured at the Kotapola Pradeshiya Sabha premises in Deniyaya when the groups were trying to allocate time for two meetings. ''The other group were not from here, they were from the Pitabeddara Pradeshiya Sabha area and more than 100 of them came towards us and I intervened and tried to explain them to engage in campaigning by adhering to the health guidelines '', said Deputy Chairman of the Kotapola PS Sanjeewa Arukgoda. He added that several punches were thrown at him during the process. Responding to this statement Jeewan Lankathilaka representing the group from the Pitabeddara Pradeshiya Sabha said, when they visited the Kotapola Pradeshiya Sabha Auditorium to attend the formation of the SLPP Central Committee of the Deniyaya Electorate former MP Kanchana Wijesekara approached him asking '' Jeewan what is problem? '' '' Later Weerasumana Weerasekara a candidate from the Matara District threatened to kill me and Sanjeewa Arukgoda from the Kotapola Pradeshiya Sabha along with an MSD officer of Kanchana Wijesekara and Kotapola Pradeshiya Sabha member Manel Ananda assaulted me ''. When contacted, former MP Kanchana Wijesekera said that an uninvited group who had attended the meeting organized by him acted in an unruly manner that led to a dispute and local government representatives who were with him received death threats as well. The former MP also stated that he too had filed a complaint with the police as a person who was at the scene.