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by Rodney Martinesz

Hindu Cultural Affairs Minister T. Maheswaran yesterday fired a warning at the JVP and certain elements within the PA that he would lead a counter agitation against their protest rallies to undermine the peace process. He said this in the context of Tuesday's Hyde Park rally organised by the JVP at which a few PA MPs including Anura Bandaranaike too participated.

He told a media conference in Colombo that he was observing the situation closely and if the 'anti-peace' rallies continue he would be forced to act.

Asked if he would be bringing his demonstrators from Jaffna, Maheswaran answered in the affirmative. He said as an MP representating the Tamil community, he has a duty to fight against any move to sabotage the present peace effort.

The Minister said that the country was for the first time sniffing at the prospects of real peace. All those who desire peace should act with responsibility. Now that Velupillai Prabhakaran has shed his jungle fatigues and come into the open (in safari suit) are we going to drive him back to the jungle?

Maheswaran was full of praise for Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa who kept away from the Hyde Park rally "Knowing fully well the reaction of the minorities".

He was however critical of the statements made by Anura Bandaranaike and Wimal Weerawansa which the Minister claimed was harmful to the peace process.

He dwelt at length on the political record of Anura Bandaranaike citing the switch over of parties for particular reference.

He said the people in the North appeared astounded as to how Anura Bandaranaike could appear of the same stage with a party whose members assassinated his brother-in-law.

He also quashed the frequent claim of Anura Bandaranaike to be a close chum of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe citing the instance where the former Speaker of Parliament ruled against the re-summoning of Parliament after prorogation. If he was the Prime Minister's best friend he should have done the latter's bidding and re-opened Parliament instead of favouring his sister, Maheswaran stressed.

Referring to Bandaranaike's speech at the Hyde Park rally that Prabhakaran was a murderer, the Minister said that the LTTE leader could not be any worse than the PA regime which was responsible for various programs in the North as revealed in Chennai.

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